THOMASVILLE — It was a day of celebration as hundreds of area residents and their families hung out at Remington Park Saturday for the annual Fourth of July “Fireworks Extravaganza.”

“We love it,” Amy Zabala, a Thomasville resident, said. “I would say there are more people here than last year. I’m glad we got here early.”

Natalie Connell, city communications director and event organizer, said she was thrilled with the turnout for the CNS-sponsored event.

“We had hoped for a good turnout, and we had to start activities at 6:15 p.m. because there was so many people here. It’s been a well-supported community event.”

She thanked the large number of volunteers for helping make the event a success.

These volunteers helped at a variety of children’s activities set up in the park. These included face painting, cookie decorating, necklace making and inflatable games.

Parent Donna Colvin appreciated the amount and the quality of the children’s activities.

Isabel Lewis helped her grandmother at the patriotic necklaces table. She was having a good time and enjoying the music, provided by The Fabulous Classics.

“This is a very family-friendly event,” mom Carrie Crenshaw said as her daughter played on a swing.

First-timer Angel Mitchell brought her family to the event.

“It’s good fun,” she said. “I think there are a lot of fun activities.”

One of the most popular activities was the new inflatable bowling.

Youths ran down a makeshift lane with a large, inflated ball in order to knock down inflatable pins at the end.

“I liked it,” Ja’Lyn Thorpe, 7, said. “I liked running down the lane and trying to knock down the pins.”

DeAnne Brown waited with her family for the fireworks to start.

“I like the crowd and everyone being together,” she said. “The weather is also nice this year.”

Betsy Hunziker came to the event from Cairo, where this year’s fireworks show was canceled because of budget concerns.

“I like it,” she said of Thomasville’s event. “There is usually just the fireworks in Cairo, but there is a lot of activities here. I’m glad we came and I think we’ll be coming back again next year.”

Members of T. L. Spence American Legion Post 31 sold hamburgers, chips and soda.

Nell Revell helped make hamburgers.

“I feel like we have freedoms here that a lot of countries do not have,” she said. “We are blessed to have these freedoms and need to keep them, today more than ever.”

Revell added that the soldiers who go to war to ensure the freedom of the American people should be praised every day.

“Freedom is something we should not take for granted,” she said.