Salute crowds get their fill of food and fun for the Fourth

Fireworks burst above the flag atop Central Bank as the Salute to America ends Monday evening.
Fireworks burst above the flag atop Central Bank as the Salute to America ends Monday evening.

On Sunday, food vendors at the Salute to America festival were preparing for a 4 p.m. opening when a surprise thunderstorm had them scrambling to keep their wares dry.

"We usually do a good business, when the weather is nice," said Frank Cherrito, owner of Sugar Daddy's Lemonade, a Kansas City vendor that makes the annual trip to Jefferson City's Fourth celebration.

"But it looks like a bad storm is coming through right now," he said at about 2:45 p.m. Minutes later, the crackle of thunder could be heard over the steady downpour and swirling winds.

Jill Snodgrass, Festival Director for the Salute to America said despite the Sunday storms, things turned out OK.

"The wind was a nightmare," she said. "We had to mobilize to drop tents, signs and to keep chairs from flying away. The gusts were crazy and the main stage had a slight lift. It was really stressful for volunteers for a while. It was a big scramble, but we were able to pull it off."