A spectacular fireworks show lighting up the night sky and legendary performers, Kool & the Gang, highlighted this year’s Star Spangled Fourth celebration.  With crowds dancing to their award-winning music, Kool & the Gang’s high energy concert was the grand finale to a full day of family fun, food, and music.  The celebration and fireworks spectacular attracted more than 60,000 people. 
 
Patrons enjoyed browsing through arts and crafts booths, eating great festival foods, creating whimsical hats with the Rad Hatter, and laughing at the hip hop antics of the Emmy award-winning Morris Brothers.  Radio Disney’s Jay Jensen entertained families all afternoon, along with street performers, bounce houses, rock climbing, face painting, and much more.
 
In keeping with the theme, “We the People Celebrate,” patrons were entertained with a broad range of music on three stages all day and into the night.  The Celebration Stage featured a wide variety of music including country, oldies, pop, R&B, Tex-Mex, and jazz.  Crowd-pleasers included a performance by Renaissance from Los Angeles, an acapella group performing classic street corner doo wop.  Another favorite, Ken Savage and the Best Kept Secret, delivered an exciting set of old-time rock and roll along with jazz that had people dancing in the streets.
 
Garland also showcased its cultural diversity with performances by the Community Multicultural Commission, who also hosted a Nationalization Ceremony to welcome new American citizens on Saturday, July 5, at the Plaza Theatre in downtown Garland.
 
The City of Garland is especially grateful to Firewheel Town Center, owned by Simon Property Group, for hosting the event again this year.  Other sponsors included Garland Power & Light, Garland Water Utilities, Environmental Waste Services, America’s Credit Union, Baylor Medical Center at Garland, Clear Channel Outdoor, Colonial Bank, Conference Hospitality Group, DART, Freese and Nichols, Fox4, My27, the Garland Journal News, Hilton Dallas Lincoln Centre, Home Depot, KAAM Radio, R-Delta Engineers, Radio Disney, International Truck and Engine Corporation, Verizon Fios, Baibrook McDonalds, U.S. Army, State Senator Bob Deuell, M.D., Autumn Leaves Living at Richardson/North Garland, Garland ISD and the Special Events Center, World Market, Geico, the Griffith Group, Master Grill Churrascaria, Coopies, Gloria’s Restaurant, Reliable Chevrolet and Saturn of Mesquite.  .