To the natives of Skiatook, the Fourth of July weekend is synonymous with two things: a day on the lake and a night filled with fireworks.
But they're all bound by something else: family.
Everyone NewsChannel 8 spoke with in Skiatook on Sunday, July 3rd, was celebrating with their family.
Take Tony Jabbour, for instance, a U.S. citizen from Lebanon who took his grandchildren to Skiatook Lake Sunday morning.
“Y’know, everything is about my family and my kids," he said. "I have a daughter that’s here. I have my grandson here; this is his first time at the lake. He’s one year old. He’s a little camera shy right now, but maybe next year we can get him on camera.”
However, the festivities at Cross Timbers Marina were just an appetizer. Skiatook Regional Airport hosted their annual "Fantasy in the Sky" celebration, as they have for over 30 years on July 3rd. But Omar Bayouth, the festival's coordinator, was just happy it was happening at all.
“I had a 24-hour period where our original vendor said they could not get the fireworks because they were on a boat in California, in the port," he explained. "And I had 24 hours to get another vendor, and I am very, very fortunate to acquire this vendor.”
Bayouth had been planning this event for many months, he said, and it almost resulted in a cancellation three days prior. But they pulled it off with gusto.
The festival featured food trucks, paragliders, live music, and most importantly, family.
Before the fireworks even began, it was already the best Third of July anyone could ask for.