Celebration on the River: Tuscaloosa marks Fourth of July with fireworks, music

Staff report
·1 min read

Despite a rain delay, thousands gathered Monday night at the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater for the city's annual Fourth of July celebration.

After the weather cleared up, the Celebration on the River featured a concert by the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra inside the amphitheater, followed a fireworks display over the Black Warrior River.

July 04, 2022; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Fireworks exploding over the Black Warrior River are seen from the area of the Oliver Dam in Northport as the community celebrated the July 4th holiday. Gary Cosby Jr.-The Tuscaloosa News
July 04, 2022; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Fireworks exploding over the Black Warrior River are seen from the area of the Oliver Dam in Northport as the community celebrated the July 4th holiday. Gary Cosby Jr.-The Tuscaloosa News

The TSO concert featured medleys from "West Side Story" and "Victory at Sea," the themes from "Star Wars" and "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial," and a crowd singalong with Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody."

The orchestra accompanied the fireworks display by performing patriotic songs, with Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama" thrown in for good measure. The fireworks lit up the Tuscaloosa sky, with a crescent moon and a passing train on the trestle nearby the amphitheater adding to the evening's atmosphere.

More events from the 4th: Tutwiler comes tumbling down: UA dorm demolished on the Fourth of July

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Tuscaloosa's Celebration on the River marks 4th of July with fireworks