PEABODY — Downpours didn’t stop the city’s Fourth of July celebrations, which commemorated the nation’s 247th birthday Tuesday.
Ward 4 Councilor Julie Daigle organized her second Fourth of July celebration in Emerson Park, as the rain held off for most of the morning while kids enjoyed painting, a bouncy house, an obstacle course, and wheel-barrel and potato-sack races.
According to Daigle, one of the most important things was the event being accessible to everyone, whether they were in her ward or not.
“The key for me is that it’s free,” Daigle said. “Everyone’s welcome.”
Daigle, who is in her first term as a city councilor, noted that she is organizing the same event that the late City Councilor Bob Driscoll, who died in 2016, organized for more than 25 years.
“I have big shoes to fill with Bob Driscoll,” Daigle said.
Driscoll’s wife, Sally Driscoll, was at Tuesday’s event and said she was happy to see her husband’s legacy live on at the event, even through the rain.
“It’s wonderful,” Sally Driscoll said. “It brings back very many memories.”
According to Daigle, around 35 volunteers helped with the event. It attracted more than 100 people, including people from other communities where activities were canceled, like Lynn. Most attendees stuck around even as the area was hit with downpours.
Mark Scalese has been attending the event with his family on and off for around two decades, and has volunteered to grill food at the event for two years. He said he wasn’t surprised that people stuck around despite the rain.
“I figured they would,” Scalese said. “It’s the Fourth of July, you want to have a good time.”
Bertolino Foods, which was among many sponsors of the celebration, donated around 2,000 hamburgers for different neighborhood events in the city, including 500 hamburgers for the event at Emerson Park. Extra food from the event was donated to the Peabody Police and Fire departments, according to Daigle.
Daigle said she had been going to Fourth of July events in the city since she was a child. She even got in on the fun herself when she competed in sprint and potato-sack races with other adults Tuesday.
“When I was a kid I loved it and had the best time. I aspire to make sure that any little kid that comes does have a great time,” Daigle said. “This is the kind of thing that you look forward to all year.”
