The best holiday of the year is just around the corner, and the anticipation is antagonizing. Firework tents are popping up all over the city, hot dog sales dominate the grocery store ads, and American flag apparel crowds the front of every clothing store in sight.
The countdown is on.
Fourth of July is almost here, the holiday that is even better than Christmas.
In my family, the celebration spans weeks, starting with the annual road trip to Rockport, MO to buy our (perfectly legal) fireworks at Shelton’s.
The oversized red warehouse is equivalent to the Erftmier family’s heaven.
With the load of fireworks safely stored in an extremely well air-conditioned wing of the house, our plans for the two-part holiday celebration commence.
One day is spent at a pool party, and the other is spent at the cabin. Each night concludes with a grand firework show, one professional (seen at the lake), and one by my dad and brother (the brilliant minds that I truly believe are America’s Next Top Pyrotechnics.)
However, even before the sun sets and the artillery shells ignite the night sky, the explosives still reign, and each year has to be upstaged by the next. With every party, we get more and more creative, and my mom grows more and more concerned.
Blowing up a watermelon? Check.
Homemade sparkler bombs? I don't recommend.
Nearly lighting the house on fire with a lantern? The key word is nearly.
Dynamite? I can neither confirm nor deny.
This year, the sights are set between an air-pressure water balloon cannon and lighting the dead pine tree on fire. (My mom has said “absolutely not” to the latter nearly a hundred times despite the fact that my dad keeps casually bringing it up in various conversations.)
The pool party always concludes with my favorite event of the night.
Setting alight 400-plus sparklers in a sparkler-bonfire? Absolutely.
With my family and friends’ extremeness aside, the sun, water, company, and smell of barbecue and smoke bombs are just a few of the best parts of the Fourth.
Nothing beats grabbing Starbucks iced-tea before the celebration begins, jet-skiing to the sound of bottle rockets soaring through the air, or killing downtime by launching water balloons at the party on the other side of the lake.
As my little sister and I decided, the only way Christmas could surpass the Fourth of July on our list of favorite holidays is if we blew up a birthday cake to celebrate Jesus’ birth.
In order to help all celebrate the Fourth in the best way possible, I share my All-American Fourth of July Playlist, sure to prevent your family from singing "America The Beautiful" during the firework show.
1. "Party in the U.S.A." by Miley Cyrus
2. "Born in the U.S.A." by Bruce Springsteen
3. "American Girl" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
4. "American Pie" by Don McLean
5. "America" by Neil Diamond
6. "R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A" by John Mellencamp
7. "Kids in America" by Kim Wilde
8. "All-American Girl" by Carrie Underwood
9. "Surfin' U.S.A." by The Beach Boys
10. "All Summer Long" by Kid Rock
11. "It's America" by Rodney Atkins
12. "American Idiot" by Green Day
13. "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond
14. "Made in The USA" by Demi Lovato
15. "Get Your Shine On" by Florida Georgia Line
16. "America" by Imagine Dragons
17. "Leave the Night On" by Sam Hunt
18. "Home" by Phillip Phillips
19. "Summer of '69" by Bryan Adams
20. "Made in America" by Cimorelli
Playlist available on Spotify.
