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Updated: September 2, 2008, 10:37 am	Share    Print    Email

The strobe effect of exploding rockets seemed to tell the story of the first rebellion, both the great war that tore the heavens asunder and the glittering descent. Photos by Aaron Boyd

The $50,000 show was funded entirely by donations, according to Fire Chief Gary Zay.

East Hampton - Despite the gloomy overcast that prevailed throughout the day, the East Hampton Fire Department presented the 51st Annual Fireworks Show on Main Beach on Saturday.

At sunset the beach was filled with residents and vacationers waiting to celebrate the end of summer. By 8:30 p.m. the natives were restless, as children across the beach began chanting in unison, "Fireworks! Fireworks!" shouting eastward into the darkness.

Shortly after 8:45 p.m. the sky was rent with explosives, bright and thunderous. Flashing balls of colored light burst out of the darkness and streaming faucets of gold poured down out of the sky while a small storm of light and boom hung just above the tree line.

Behind the great cloud of smoke that began to linger, the strobe effect of exploding rockets seemed to tell the story of the first rebellion, both the great war that tore the heavens asunder and the glittering descent of the fallen, as they dropped down below the earth into their fiery torment.

The $50,000 show was funded entirely by donations, according to Fire Chief Gary Zay. The display lasted half an hour, through the gasps of rapt attention and the intermittent whine of frightened young children.

By 8:30 p.m. the natives were restless, as children across the beach began chanting in unison, "Fireworks! Fireworks!"