It was 5 p.m. on July 4 and the parking lots were empty at Waterside Place.
That was a somewhat anxious moment for Lakewood Ranch Communities' Grace Flowers, Nicole Hackel and Taylor Riffle, who had worked so hard to present the first Star-Spangled Spectacular at Waterside Place.
Then the floodgates opened, at least in terms of people.
Over the next 60 minutes, Waterside Place was filled to capacity, families navigating through the masses to enjoy the food, festivities and fun that Lakewood Ranch's first July 4 festival provided.
Lakewood Ranch's Steve Harris commented on what many of those in attendance had to be thinking. Watching his 4-year-old daughter Collette play in a bounce house, he said he had taken his family to Anna Maria Island the last two years looking for a family-friendly event, but things were rained out both times. He was thrilled to have something like Star-Spangled Spectacular right in his backyard from now on.
The Circus Arts Conservatory provided a thrilling performance toward the end of the event, which was capped by a drone show.
Hackel, who said she had never seen so many people in Waterside Place, estimated the crowd to be more than 4,000 people, although she didn't expect the actual count for about a week.
Roller skating sensation Anita Zeman manages to keep smiling, even as her husband Karoly Zeman launches her into the air under the Waterside Place Pavilion July 4 during Star-Spangled Spectacular.
Photo by Jay Heater
The thousands who attended Star-Spangled Spectacular July 4 at Waterside Place probably would have agreed with the image created during the drone show.
Photo by Jay Heater
Parrish's Kay Arens and her 3-year-old daughter Amelia Sulkowski had a little patriotic face painting done at Star-Spangled Spectacular.
Photo by Jay Heater
The Trio Black Diamond hand balancing act keeps the crowd on the edge of its seat during Star-Spangled Spectacular.
Photo by Jay Heater
Clown Juan Carlos Valencia enlisted some help during his performance at Star-Spangled Spectacular at Waterside Place July 4.
Photo by Jay Heater
Speed juggler Nilson Escoba of the Circus Arts Conservatory performs at Star-Spangled Spectacular July 4 at Waterside Place.
Photo by Jay Heater
Lakewood Ranch 4-year-old Collette Harris was bouncing off the walls of an inflatable at Star-Spangled Spectacular.
Photo by Jay Heater
Star Newman introduced the crowd to her brand of magic and mentalism in a show during Star-Spangled Spectacular at Waterside Place July 4.
Photo by Jay Heater
Roller skating dynamos Anita and Karoly Zeman obviously have the utmost trust in each other as they perform at Waterside Place July 4.
Photo by Jay Heater
The Trio Black Diamond hand balancing act thrills the crowd at Waterside Place during the Star-Spangled Spectacular July 4.
Photo by Jay Heater
With thousands of people showing up to the Star-Spangled Spectacular July 4, the crowd was packed into every available space in front of the pavilion.
Photo by Jay Heater
Speed juggler Nilson Escobar obviously enjoys his work in front of the crowd at the Waterside Place Pavilion.
Photo by Jay Heater
Lakewood Ranch Communities' Grace Flowers, Nicole Hackel and Taylor Riffle led the effort to present Star-Spangled Spectacular to the community July 4 at Waterside Place.
Photo by Jay Heater
Steven Lombardo of Fritzy Brothers One Man Circus, was having a ball juggling and entertaining kids at the Star-Spangled Spectacular.
Photo by Jay Heater
Lakewood Ranch Communities brought in plenty of carnival games and inflatables for Star-Spangled Spectacular to entertain the kids, and some parents, too.
Photo by Jay Heater
If your cow was No. 7 in the carnival game at the Star Spangled Spectacular, you won a prize.
Photo by Jay Heater
Clown Juan Carlos Valencia obviously is very serious about making people laugh at Star-Spangled Spectacular at Waterside Place July 4.
Photo by Jay Heater
Master of Ceremonies Jared Walker opens the Circus Arts Conservatory show at Star-Spangled Spectacular July 4 at Waterside Place.
Photo by Jay Heater
Sarasota 10-year-old Libby Bates couldn't get all the way up the twisty ladder at Star-Spangled Spectacular, but she still came up smiling.
Photo by Jay Heater
University Park's John Blackwell gives his 3-year-old son Jack a little help throwing the ax in a carnival game at Star-Spangled Spectacular.
Photo by Jay Heater
Pedro Reis, the founder of the Circus Arts Conservatory, which was featured at Star-Spangled Spectacular at Waterside Place, checks the equipment before the show.
Photo by Jay Heater
The lake side at Waterside Place was absolutely packed for the drone show July 4.
Photo by Jay Heater
Star-Spangled Spectacular didn't have any live bands, but there was this guitar.
Photo by Jay Heater
Drones create a flag over Waterside Place during Star-Spangled Spectacular.
Photo by Jay Heater
Sian España shows his ability with a type of giant Yo-Yo during Star-Spangled Spectacular.
Photo by Jay Heater
Gettel Toyota's Joe Rodriguez, a sales rep, and Rocky Santa Cruz, the general manager, were loving the Star-Spangled Spectacular, which their company sponsored.
Photo by Jay Heater
Gabbie Taylor, the nursing manager at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center's ER at Fruitville, was handing out beach balls at Star-Spangled Spectacular.
Photo by Jay Heater
Lakewood Ranch's Milana Nanna, 14, takes a shot at ringing the bell in the one of the carnival games at Star-Spangled Spectacular July 4 at Waterside Place.
Photo by Jay Heater
Lakewood Ranch's Lezirie DeJesus was having a little fun at Star-Spangled Spectacular with the Statue of Liberty and Uncle Sam.
Photo by Jay Heater
Kensington Carter and Cary-Lee Carter just moved to Esplanade Azario from Canada and they were feeling very patriotic on July 4.
Jay Heater is the managing editor of the East County Observer. Overall, he has been in the business more than 41 years, 26 spent at the Contra Costa Times in the San Francisco Bay area as a sportswriter covering college football and basketball, boxing and horse racing.
