Five-year-old Lennon Barrett screamed that her favorite part of the Fourth of July was the fireworks.
Raegan Barrett, who is 6, agreed and added that her favorite part was just having fun at the annual fireworks show at Valencia Town Center on Friday night.
Jameson Barrett, 9, said he loved barbecuing and the burgers.
The Barrett family and the Bishop family, who were there together, have been coming to the fireworks show for about seven or eight years.
When asked why they enjoyed coming to see the fireworks show, Brittany Barrett said convenience is a factor.
“Because it’s easy. You can park and it’s close by,” Brittany said.
She added that the families barbecued and hung out at the pool before coming to see the annual show.
“And then we come here and set up our chairs and they scooter around and watch the fireworks,” Brittany said.
Randie Bishop said her favorite part of the evening is the community being brought together.
“Like, every time we come here, there’s so many people, there’s so many kids, they ride scooters, everyone shares little poppers, they share little tattoos and, like, stars and stuff for their hair. Yeah. I think the community’s fun,” Bishop said.
Brittany added, “They’ve never left without making a new friend.”
Along with the families and friends coming together, some businesses had booths around the mall selling lemonade or handmade jewelry, to name a few.
Brooklyn Smith’s business “Coastal Jewels” sells handmade bracelets, anklets and phone charms among other things.
Smith, who is 13 years old, said she got started because she needed to raise some money for her trip to Florida for a cheerleading competition.
“Um, I just, I love selling bracelets and I kind of just want to, you know, sell, raise money for things and put a smile on people’s faces,” Smith said.
Rylie Randolph, 11, and her brother Max, 6, decided to sell lemonade at the show.
“To give other people, like, a breather from summer because it’s hot. So, like we have like drinks for them and so it can be kind of like a refresher,” Rylie said.
She added that she and her friends made slime, squishies, bracelets and fans for people to buy, too.
When asked what a squishy was, Rylie said that she designed the look of them to be Fourth of July-themed and added cotton, taped the edges of the squishy and it is good to play with.
Kelli Gomez was hanging out with her son, Cruz, in the back of their truck waiting for her husband and the festivities to start.
“We just wanted to have, you know, a nice time with the family and celebrate and enjoy the fireworks and just build memories,” Gomez said.
The evening also had cars playing music throughout the mall parking lot with people sitting in their lawn chairs, dancing, playing games and awaiting the highly anticipated show.
Children were chanting for the fireworks when the lights went off, waiting for the first fireworks of the night, too.
