Photos: Fireworks light up the night in Rockville Centre

Crowds of people gathered at the Pette and Barasch ball fields near the Mill River bank in Rockville Centre on Saturday night to find the perfect spot to revel in the light and sound of the annual fireworks celebration and concert.

For the last three decades, this free event has been hosted by the Rockville Centre Guild for the Arts and the Village of Rockville Centre in celebration of our nation’s independence. And this year’s festivities were no different.

Hundreds enjoyed a rousing performance by the South Shore Symphony Orchestra, as they performed a medley of pop hits, show tunes, and patriotic renditions for the crowd. The performance marked one of the first for the orchestra following the recent departure of Scott Jackson Wiley, the 25-year veteran music director and conductor, who passed the baton to maestro Adam Glaser of Hofstra University and the Juilliard School, back in June.

The annual event provides a fun-filled evening for the whole family, especially for the kids, who enjoyed the chance to frolic, play and make new friends while eagerly awaiting the big fireworks spectacle.

Fireworks by Grucci, considered one of the nation’s premier pyrotechnic companies, have put on the fireworks display in Rockville Centre since 1993. Located in Bellport, the company set a world record for the largest fireworks display ever-recorded in Dubai back in 2013. Founded in 1850, Grucci has had a hand in several Olympic Games opening ceremonies, U.S. Presidential inaugurations, World’s Fair expos, the Statue of Liberty Centennial and many more.