Heritage Festival and Fireworks in downtown Murphy
Best Friends, Zella Van Buskirk, 10, of Brasstown, and Abby English, 11, of Murphy have fun with glow sticks before the fireworks show on Saturday. Photo by Stacy Van Buskirk/Cherokee Scout
Murphy - The skies above Murphy came alive with color Saturday night as residents and visitors gathered to celebrate the nation’s 250th Independence Day with an evening of community, patriotism and a dazzling fireworks display.
This year’s celebrations carried special significance as communities across the country commemorated the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
From evening until well after sunset, Murphy buzzed with activities for families as Murphy’s America 250 Heritage Festival provided entertainment with the Raven Rock Dancers, Matt Tooni, Modal Mountain, and Glen Glass Piping.
The Cherokee County Tourism Development Authority and Town of Murphy worked to host the event in conjunction with local law enforcement.
A major highlight was the veteran ceremony, which offered a moving reflection on service and sacrifice.
The Raven Rock dancers are a multigenerational Cherokee family group that preserves and shares Cherokee traditions and history.
Matt Tooni, a Cherokee Flute player and storyteller followed with music and stories highlighting the Cherokee stories that helped shape the mountain region.
Modal Mountain, a folk band from the Knoxville area, followed on stage to bring their own Appalachian heritage with banjos, fiddles, and bluegrass music.
The bagpipes played by Glen Glass Piping helped to set the stage as locals gathered around businesses in downtown to watch the fireworks show.
“A special thank you goes to the Tourism Development Authority, the Town of Murphy, The Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce, and the America 250 NC grant for providing the support to make this event possible,” Casey Kerr, Manager of the Cherokee County Tourism Development Authority said. “ A big shout out to the Murphy Police Department, our fire department, and sheriff's auxiliary teams for keeping Downtown Murphy a safe and enjoyable place to host this celebration! We appreciate all who braved the hot July sun to make this celebration so special. We didn't just celebrate history; we made some of our own.”
“Today went really well. Casey Kerr with Cherokee County Tourism Development Authority did an excellent job coordinating everything and the Town of Murphy on public safety for the logistics of the fire department and everything,” Victoria Ivie, Executive Director of the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce said. “The entertainers and all the things today went well- I appreciate the community coming out and I thought it was a good event for America’s 250th.”
This year, the fireworks were shot behind the Murphy Fire Department instead of the Konehete Park where they have been shot in the past years.
This new scenery allowed for locals and visitors to gather in local spaces like the Historic Harshaw Chapel Cemetery to see the show.