MACON, Ga. — The lights were bright Tuesday night over Lake Tobesofkee as hundreds celebrated Independence Day watching the fireworks display.
The fireworks went off around 9:15 p.m. but many beachgoers started their day much earlier. Park staff expected between 3,000 and 5,000 visitors at all of Lake Tobesofkee's parks.
After a quick scare involving some afternoon rain, there were plenty of visitors. Many came prepared.
"There ain't nothing that can pull me from here right now. Nothing," said Chase Pratts.
Others, like Trina Smith and her friends, didn't.
"We went to go get an umbrella. They were all out. We tried. We were going to stick it out, rain or shine, soaking wet," Smith said.
She just moved in from Pennsylvania last week. Her friends wanted to introduce her to a Central Georgia tradition.
"This is her first time here at Lake Tobesofkee, so we brought the grill and the kids so she can experience what we're used to in Macon," said Sydnee Allen.
Food trucks in the Sandy Beach parking lot were a hit. Ezra Wiggins' family runs one of them: The Patty Shack.
"Really good. They serve walking tacos, home fries, taco fries. Just come visit them," Wiggins said.
He spent most of the day on the beach with his friends. It's Wiggins' first time at the lake on the Fourth, but he loves the lake.
"It's just the environment. It's always nice out here, always good people. Always something to do, it's never boring. Riding boats, on the beach, riding jet skis, there's always something to do. It's good for kids. They've got playgrounds," he said.
It's a Macon tradition nearly three decades old, and for many this year, the start of a new family tradition too.
