Cape Coral celebrates July 4th with big fireworks and big new flag

CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WINK) — Thousands of people filled Cape Coral Parkway on Saturday night as fireworks danced in the night sky, capping off July 4th celebrations across Southwest Florida. 

The city started Saturday by raising a giant American flag over the Caloosahatchee River, culminating a months-long project spearheaded by City Manager Michael Ilczyszyn, a U.S. Navy veteran. Cape Coral built a 250-foot-high flag pole in Bernice Braden Park to commemorate the United States 250th anniversary. 

It is the tallest free-standing flagpole in Florida and the second tallest in the country, the city said. Cape Coral said the project is funded entirely through private donations. The city asked for $500,000. It collected a little more than $313,000 as of Saturday afternoon. 

A city spokeswoman told WINK News that one donor pledged to make up the difference.

Hundreds of people watched the flag rise on Saturday afternoon as city and county leaders spoke. Victor Rivera grew up in Fort Myers and recently moved to Cape Coral. Rivera took his young daughter, Mia, to commemorate the moment. 

"It's a monument for Cape Cross Community spirit, and we came to witness it,” Rivera said.

Vendors set up along the parkway throughout the afternoon as people braved temperatures that approached the mid-90s. Many booths were operated by political candidates running for city, county, and congressional seats ahead of August primaries. Teenage and elderly church groups handed out cards asking people to join their congregation. 

Rhea Buckland helped run a stand for the Cape Coral Museum of History. She said the museum is displaying an exhibit that tells the history of the United States through the American flag.

“Everybody's happy, everybody's got these cute outfits on, and everything, which is great,” Buckland said. ”Because of our 250th birthday I think people are in a little bit more of a celebratory, happy, let's get along kind of mood, which is awesome.”

The flags, vendors, and food helped set the stage for Saturday’s finale: Red, White, and Boom. The city hosted a fireworks display at the Cape Coral Bridge. It was scheduled to start at 9:00 p.m., but was delayed for about 30 minutes. The crowd started to become restless until fireworks suddenly exploded in the sky, drawing cheers that rippled across the crowd. 

Peter Formica has attended the city’s July 4th celebration for the last 24 years. He said Red, White, and Boom is one of Cape Coral’s ‘primo’ events and that it helps bring people together. Formica echoed the feelings of many people who spoke to WINK News on Saturday. Despite the county’s political divisions, he was happy to celebrate America’s founding. 

"We live in the greatest country in the world, although we got some problems right now,” Formica said. "I think we can get through it and get this country turned around, and move forward.”