Reader comments
Stadium of Fire lights up the 4th

I was there...did Glenn Beck cry at all?

Honestly this was a bit creepy and nationalistic. Beck is a piece of work. He is right about one thing, however, and that is there is no place like Utah on July 4th. I need to start going out of state (or at least UT County) for the 4th. Good old fashioned city park fireworks with family, bbq and the pop shoppe...ahhh the nostalgia of UT County before all of the Fox News sponsored propoganda!

Go to San Francisco. There are boats you can take out on the bay and you can watch fireworks in a full circle from both sides of the Bay. Lake Tahoe has a good venue too.

It's real creepy using our nation's birthday to divide Americans politically. Only in Utah.

Yes I was up on the field yes he was tearing up

I sometimes wonder if the posters really read their own, persecutionist, negative drivel. Out of the entire day's activities, making superficial comments about Glenn Beck is all your able to do? The out-of-state thing: Unless you can attend festivities in DC, Boston, Dallas and a few other areas, the 4th is no big deal. If the home spun, everything labeled traditional, patriotic, family values, or heritage bugs you, welcome to my world in Phoenix, where there is nothing going on but a few isolated fireworks shows non of which could rate a 1 on the 10, Stadium of Fire scale. Is it possible that you all didn't go to the parade or the stadium show, you just hate GB? Get out and do, have fun, get off your couch and I think your paranoia will disappear.

was painted with the stars and bars back behind the stadium. We were guessing it was people dressed in Red or Blue . . . but I've never seen that before and haven't seen any local coverage . . . anybody see that and know the story?

This country is about embracing all ideals. Learn and Live, join be part of life, you don't have to agree, you don't have to participate, but if you do you will get so much more for it. God bless America! Happy Independence Day.

Yeah real fun. I live just off Center Street in Provo. Dogs barking uncontrollably in hysteria. A man
maybe a vagrant cutting through the backyard got bit by the landlord's dog in which I chased the dog away
and ending up letting a stranger use my bathroom and cleaning him up blood and all from the dog bite.
No parking for the people that live here. Roads
barricaded off. No escape routes in case of emergency because of the amount of people. The Provo
Police are considerably outnumbered. I agree, stay home with your families. Have a BBQ and enjoy them. Too many Utah people have to do what the in-crowd does so they can do the popular thing instead of the right thing.

Oh Bobby, take a chill pill. Quit worrying about what others are doing and enjoy the day, why don't you? Your whining is incredily tiresome.

Sj Bobkins, you've got it right!

J Rett's statement (5:16 a.m. 7/5) is incorrect. This country never was, and is not now, about embracing all ideals. For example, Communism and slavery are not American ideals. Countries are held together by the shared ideals of their residents. When the ideals of the people become too disparate, the country falls apart, usually in hatred and war. Personal freedom, meritocracy (as opposed to aristocracy), the worth of the individual, and accountability for one's actions are some of America's ideals.

This is a money making event, pure and simple,wrapped in the flag. This also describes Beck and his ilk. My family will always do something just pure and simple for the 4th. Get rid of the right wing hate mongers Provo, and do something celebratory of our country's nobility and greatness that includes all Americans.

LES only 70% capacity...hmmmm. An opportunity to make more money, lost.

Did the stadium folks cut way back on fireworks? Maybe it's just me, but I thought the fireworks (the best part, no?) was scaled waaaaayyy back.
Sad.

I agree w/American. I went to the Stadium of Fire for the first time and will never go back. Beck covers himself in the flag, denigrates those with whom he disagrees, and walks home with a fat paycheck. And Utahns call that patriotism. It really, truly, made me physically sick that he would lead a show that was so blatantly, in-your-face partisan. It's people like that who are destroying our country. The man makes me sick.

The Stadium of Fire is a money-making activity and we should be thankful it is. The money raised pays for the dozens of other Freedom Festival activities that are provided free.

American and Bobby, ... ever consider moving?!? It's a FREE country, at least for now. OH, BTW..when you get ready to move make sure you get your energy efficient windows and appliances installed before the government inspector comes.

Um, were any of you haters even there!?! I was, and the show was awesome. And for all the ire in these other posts, I thought Beck stayed away from partisan drivel. He talked about principles and sacrifice, but can anyone name one time he mentioned "us" vs. "them" or anything else meant to divide?

You guys are out of control! Beck really isn't even that big a part of the show. For me and my kids, it's about music, dancing, fireworks, military flyovers (are those somehow partisan!?!) and FIRE. A great production as always.

Provo's Freedom Festival is a wonderful event.

Unfortunately for those on the "liberal" side of the political aisle, they just can't find a patriotic event on the scale of their ambitions. I wonder why?

Patriotism is alive and well in Utah and our statewide support for these types of events eclipses most other areas of the country.

Bobby--thanks for telling that. Interesting to know how people living at the parade route handle the problem during the fourth. Props for helping out the dog bitten stranger.

Here's how I see the math: LES capacity + 62000. Attendance = 50000. % Capacity = %80>%70. Don't forget that the whole south end of the stadium remains empty because that is where the stage and FIRE happens. You probably just didn't realize it because you have never been there. Maybe they will sell some south end tickets to some Ute fans next year so they can have the best view of the fireworks.