Billed as the largest fireworks display in Southern New England, the fireworks started just after 10 PM. After a nice start, the display ended abruptly about 3 or 4 minutes in. We sat there waiting for about 15 minutes before a man in the crowd said that he heard on his scanner that the fire marshall cancelled the fireworks because of "high winds". Looking at the leaves on the tree nearby, we could see little or no movement of the branches. WTF?

You can still see the Esplanade fireworks. Turn onto Beech from Washington (right if you're coming from the south; left from the north), then pull into the Bates School parking lot on your left. You'll miss most of the sound and the big booms will reach you a half-second or so late, but you'll get a perfectly clear view of all the fireworks. And if you're lucky, among the 50 or so people watching with you will be this guy with a really loud voice who manages to make the fireworks sound just like sex:

Oh, yeah! Ahh! Ahh! Oh, yeah, THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT!

Sharon posts photos from Natick's Fourth of July fireworks.

Get an early start to your Fourth of July with a celebration in Somerville tonight. Entertainment starts at 7:15, with fireworks to follow at 9:15.

It all happens at Somerville's Trum Field, on Broadway between Ball and Magoun squares. Here's a Google map to show you where it is.