Fourth of July Fireworks Show at Carnegie Mellon University was Awesome!

I watched the Fourth of July Independence Day fireworks show at Carnegie Mellon University with my girlfriend yesterday. I described the fireworks with several words: spectacular, amazing, awesome, bright, loud, and so forth. I was impressed by the fireworks, and we will go again next year.

Beginning of Fireworks at Carnegie Mellon University
(Copyright Jonathan Becker)

Tip: If you live in a big city, do not go to the fireworks downtown because you'll have a really tough time getting home. Find one near your home.

I went to last year's Fourth of July Independence Day fireworks last year because I didn't feel like going to downtown Pittsburgh, and my girlfriend agreed with me on that this year. She went to a downtown Pittsburgh fireworks show years ago, and it took her hours to get home afterwards because it was a mess after the show. Hence, after going to a friend's Fourth of July party, we walked down early to Carnegie Mellon University, hung out, and sat down on a couple of portable seat cushions. Before the fireworks began, we sat next to a really nice couple who brought a very lovable Beagle mix. We chatted with them and petted their dog.

More Fourth of July at Carnegie Mellon University
(Copyright Jonathan Becker)

WARNING! Think twice before you bring a pet to a fireworks show!

The whole atmosphere at the Mall between Hamerschlag Hall and the College of Fine Arts was a communal one. People brought lawn chairs, or lawn blankets. There were several people who brought dogs including the nice couple that we sat next to on the lawn. Most of the dogs handled the fireworks fairly well, as they only barked. However, the loud noises (especially the reverberations of the booms off the College of Fine Arts Building) really freaked that poor beagle mix out. He was absolutely petrified! The poor dog even wriggled out of his collar, but luckily there was another couple behind them who caught the dog, and both couples did their best to calm the poor thing. I don't think the beagle mix dog's owners knew what would happen, and I'm sure that the dog is fine now. However, you really need to understand your pet's temperament before bringing him/her to the fireworks.

As is typical Pittsburgh fashion, it started raining pouring during the fireworks, so we moved ran to one of the arches in the College of Fine Arts Building and found shelter from the rain. That was a much better spot than the lawn because we did not hear any reverberations there. I think the videos / photos that I captured were much better from that location as well.

Awesome fireworks burst during CMU Fourth of July Fireworks Show
(Copyright Jonathan Becker)

Where ever you watched the fireworks, whether outdoors or on TV at home, I hope that you enjoyed your day, had fun, and partied responsibly and safely. My girlfriend and I really liked the waterproof lawn blanket that the couple (with the Beagle mix) sat on, and we noticed that Bed Bath and Beyond has it. We plan on getting that blanket to sit and lay on during future outdoor Pittsburgh events in Schenley Park and other Fourth of July fireworks shows. If you missed yesterday's fireworks, I have four YouTube videos that I recorded. I hope that you enjoy them!


Sincerely,

Jonathan Becker
ECE PhD Candidate
Carnegie Mellon University