Oh baby, what a Fourth! A sea of red, white and blue for East Windsor celebration (with multiple photos)

By Michael Crismali, Correspondent
For a few hours, the green fields at Etra Lake Park were transformed into a sea of red, white, and blue as residents from East Windsor and neighboring towns came out to celebrate our nation’s independence.
An impressive sight, virtually everyone in the park stood in unison to pay tribute, as Natalie Megules sang her beautiful rendition of the National Anthem. The sister of the trumpet player, Natalie is also the daughter of the band leader of Trenton Brass Quintet Plus One.
Many in attendance have been coming to this event for years, including the Simon family from East Windsor, represented by three generations, Susan and John Simon, their daughter Wendy Habeski, and granddaughter Maddie Habeski.
For Maddie, it was a double celebration as she was also celebrating her fourth birthday. Wendy Habeski said that one of the things that makes this event so special is the families that come back year after year. As the kids grow older and begin families of their own, they still return for their annual Independence Day tradition.
There were plenty of first-timers as well. The Grange family just moved to Plainsboro from Utah, and decided to spend part of their Fourth of July weekend enjoying the beautiful weather, the music, and of course, the mainevent: the fireworks display that capped off the evening.
As darkness fell, organizers of the fireworks display set off a lone,attention-getting rocket, indicating that show time was near. Momentslater, the show began with a vibrant and colorful display. Cutting throughthe loud screeching, crackling, and booms of the show, the oohs and ahhs could be heard from the crowd, as well as the backdrop of some patriotic classics, such as Lee Greenwood’s “Proud to be An American,“ and Bruce Springsteen’s, “Born in the U.S.A.”
It was a spectacular show on a spectacularly beautiful day at Etra LakePark, filled with family, friends, and plenty of fun in the sun. It’s clear that the Independence Day tradition is alive and well in East Windsor.