Fireworks before the rain

Sleepy Eye Fourth of July celebration beats the storm

Despite the looming threat of a thunderstorm, Saturday’s Fourth of July fireworks over Lake Sleepy Eye went off without a hitch. The pyrotechnical display concluded a rainout. Photo by Clay Schuldt

Saturday, 9-year-old Sonja Hamilton created a patriotic chalk drawing on the Sleepy Eye bike trail while waiting for the evening fireworks. Photo by Clay Schuldt

Spectators risk the rain to watch Sleepy Eye’s fireworks display. Photo by Clay Schuldt

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Despite the looming threat of a thunderstorm, Saturday’s Fourth of July fireworks over Lake Sleepy Eye went off without a hitch. The pyrotechnical display concluded a rainout. Photo by Clay Schuldt

Saturday, 9-year-old Sonja Hamilton created a patriotic chalk drawing on the Sleepy Eye bike trail while waiting for the evening fireworks. Photo by Clay Schuldt

Spectators risk the rain to watch Sleepy Eye’s fireworks display. Photo by Clay Schuldt

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SLEEPY EYE - Spectators gathered around Sleepy Eye Lake for the annual Fourth of July fireworks display on Saturday were treated to a lightning storm before the pyrotechnics.

For most of the day, the sun was out with only a few clouds on the horizon, but by 8 p.m., a storm front had moved into the edge of the lake. Around 9:30 p.m. lightning could be seen in the distance and the wind began to pick up. Some spectators departed before the fireworks to get ahead of the rain. A thunderstorm was forecast to hit at 10 p.m. The rain did arrive as predicted, but the fireworks were launched a few minutes ahead of the rain. A light drizzle began as the fireworks concluded, but the downpour arrived before the show ended.