ELKHART — Although the public fireworks were few, Elkhart County residents were able to commemorate their Fourth of July with several special festivities.

They watched the parade in Nappanee, tapped their toes to the music concert in McNaughton Park in Elkhart, then oohed and aahed at the decorated boats in the Upper St. Joseph River Flotilla.

And many people may have followed Willie Bean’s plan. With the temperatures climbing into triple digits, according to one downtown thermometer, the Elkhart resident opted to skip the cookout and just settle indoors with a quiet supper.

He did emerge as the sun was setting and walked to Martin’s Landing along East Jackson Boulevard to watch the flotilla. The annual procession of decorated boats is usually held in the daytime hours on Independence Day but this year the organizers moved the event to after sundown.

People started arriving at Martin’s Landing, the prime viewing spot, before 8 p.m. and by the time the boats began parading from Bulldog Crossing, many were sitting in canvas lawn chairs or on bleachers.

In Nappanee, residents took their places along Main Street to watch the parade that started at 11 a.m. and led to Stauffer Park. Youngsters scrambled to grab the candy thrown from some of the fire trucks and tractors.

In the park, Bright Beginnings Preschool had activities for the children while NorthWood cheerleaders had a face-painting booth and a dunking tank. Also, two ice cream stands were providing a steady supply of much-needed cool treats.

Later in the evening, Jim and Barb Underly of Elkhart unfolded their lawn chairs in a spot that had a clear view of the stage at the McNaughton Park band shell. Even their brown and white dog, Charlotte, had a lounge chair for reclining.

Other concert goers positioned their lawn chairs in the shade to listen to the music. Closer to the river, families were enjoying picnics.

Taking the stage at 7 p.m. was The Volunteers, a rock band with the U.S. Army Field Band. The six member ensemble, complete with guitars, drums, keyboards and two vocalists, performed of rock, country and contemporary hits with Patriotic tunes sprinkled throughout.

A county-wide burn ban curtailed the public fireworks shows in Elkhart and Goshen but some could not imagine a Fourth of July without a colorful display against the night sky.

As darkness fell across the city, errant booms and bursts of fireworks could be heard and seen. Inside the police department, a patrolman answered the ever insistent phone, breaking the news to several callers, “No, there are no fireworks tonight.”