Thousands of spectators had to evacuate the Charles River Esplanade right before the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular began as strong storms were moving across Massachusetts Saturday evening, but that didn’t stop the show from eventually going on — just a little bit late.
This year’s Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular, originally scheduled for 7-9:30 p.m. at the Hatch Shell, was expected to be bigger than ever as part of the ongoing celebration of America’s 250th birthday, with performances from Lainey Wilson, Chance The Rapper, Trombone Shorty and Megan Hilty, with Jane Lynch serving as host.
With less than an hour to go before showtime, shortly before 6:30 p.m., officials asked spectators to take shelter due to the possibility of lightning. Crowds were singing the national anthem to pass the time.
“We got in and out of the tunnel and everything seems fine,” one man said. “People are singing and making the best of it.”
