ST. LOUIS — For most of this Fourth of July, downtown St. Louis was pretty quiet, which is out of the ordinary as Fair St. Louis usually shuts down the streets.
This year was scaled back but people still found a way to celebrate.
Fair St. Louis was really limited to two major events, America's Birthday Parade and of course the spectacular fireworks over the Arch.
For many St. Louisans, the Fourth of July always starts with America’s Birthday Parade, it’s a family tradition.
“We came out to support the local St. Louis community, to support everyone in the parade, to make sure to educate him and to understand the significance of the birthday of America,” Dena Anderson said.
But this year the family tradition changed for many, after the parade, the streets weren’t bustling with the sounds of Fair St. Louis like they were last year.
“It's a little bit of a bummer. It was. Last year it was awesome to get to experience it. And our kids out there having some fun, eat some corn dogs, all that good stuff. So definitely a little smaller this year. But we adjust right,” Dylan Estes said.
So the Estes family adjusted, spending time together at Ballpark Village which filled the live music hole Fair St. Louis left behind.
That was Dj Deb’s favorite part of Fair St. Louis.
“We had, you know, some of the top entertainers. I got to meet them, talk to them, see them in the limo, see them to go to the hotel they were at. And so music is number one with me,” Deb said.
While it wasn’t what they were expecting the change didn’t stop them from getting to the heart of their family tradition.
“Spending time. It's our annual mother-daughter trip. Weekend, well, week-long trip. So it's just spending time with each other,” Rashetta Chavis said.
One of the things that stayed the same is the 3,600-pound firework show which for kids young and old is the best part.
“We park at the top of a parking garage right there at the top, about 9 p.m. we go wind down, get our spot set and just kick off the fourth the right way and check them out right over the Arch,” Estes said.
What will never change is the reason we celebrate.
“People take their freedom for granted until you get locked up in a prison cell or a jail cell or like you're a little bird, would that be fine or would you rather fly free? I like flying free. So freedom means everything to me,” Deb said.
Fair St. Louis says the reason they scaled back this year is to make next year's celebration bigger and better with collaboration from the entire community.