Despite the heat, hundreds turn out for Manning's Red, White & Blue Celebration

MANNING - Manning was the place to be on July 3 for its annual Red, White & Blue Celebration.

Hundreds of people enjoyed live entertainment, food trucks, vendors, visiting with friends and neighbors and a dazzling fireworks display.

Level 10 Live Band and Show kept the crowd entertained with a variety of popular music, perfect for dancing.

The free popcorn stand was a huge hit with children of all ages. It was manned by the Clarendon County Chamber of Commerce's Executive Director Jennie Lee and the City of Manning's Special Projects Coordinator Carrie Trebil, along with several volunteers, and the crowd didn't give them too much free time from bagging the popcorn to enjoy the festivities.

The warm, perhaps hot, afternoon kept the food trucks busy providing a variety of cold treats, including plenty of snow cones and gallons of ice-cold lemonade.

How could a crowd celebrate the July 4 holiday without a dazzling fireworks show? The people with the Town of Manning and Mayor Julia A. Nelson did not disappoint the crowd. The fireworks provided a kaleidoscope of colors and ended in a spectacular flourish of colors and sounds.

"This is the largest crowd of any of our past Red, White & Blue Celebrations, and the feedback from the public has been positive," Nelson said. "I'm so appreciative of each sponsor who made our celebration for Independence Day possible."

"I'm also extremely proud of each member of Team Manning, volunteers and our local partners like the Chamber of Commerce," Nelson added. "Councilman Clayton Pack really worked diligently on the fundraising and selecting the band while Scott Tanner, our administrator, handled contracts, documented all donations and more. The Public Works Department worked in extreme heat to pull everything together behind the scenes. And, of course, that evening, we were blessed to have an event for families to share without any significant incident thanks to the cooperation of the attendees and our Public Safety Department."

"I feel blessed about the fact that we're creating lifetime and positive memories for our children," the mayor said. "They will always remember how Independence Day was celebrated in their hometown."