Independence and Pride

I hear it often said that Orlando doesn't have much of a gay pride celebration because it's too hot at the end of June, and Gay Days (just a few weeks earlier) drains everyone's budget — and besides, it's a lot more fun, anyway.*

So today, I'm trying to figure out why anyone goes to Independence Day fireworks presentations here. It's still too hot, and one can easily see fireworks shows (and, in my opinion, better ones) at any of the various theme parks, 364 other days of the year. In fact, I'd almost wager that Downtown Disney's free fireworks show on Sunday night, July 3, probably rivalled the one in Downtown Orlando last night, but without the all-day wait and nearly impossible parking and after-show traffic issues. (I say "almost" because I couldn't care less if I saw either one. Something about seeing fireworks shows five times a week for the first two years I lived here, and now hearing them almost every night, has made them lose their luster. )

*However, we won't mention how many people have said they went to gay pride in St. Petersburg a couple of weeks back, at least two hours away by car.