NATCHEZ — John Tipton was sitting with his grandson on a tree stump overlooking the Mississippi River to watch the night sky light up with fireworks Friday night.

The boy was busy moving around the stump with other kids.

“He met them when he got here,” Tipton said. “Children don’t meet any strangers.”

Tipton said that to him, Independence Day should be a day to stop and be thankful for our blessings and liberties, but his grandson was here to see the fireworks.

“If they make enough noise, he’ll enjoy it,” he said.

Hundreds of other people braved mosquitoes Friday night on the Natchez Bluff to celebrate independence.

Adam and Jessica Brady were out with their child to take in the evening of fireworks.

“The three Fs are what this day is all about,” Jessica Brady said. “Fireworks, family and friends.”

Candi Bernard was leaning on the rail overlooking Roth Hill with her family.

“This is an every year event for us,” she said. “I like letting my kids see the fireworks, they love it.”

E.T. Burke, 92, sat by the water fountain.

“There have been a lot of changes since I was a kid,” she said. “Back then, we had firecrackers, but we didn’t have anything like the big fireworks we are going to see tonight.”

Overlooking the bluff from the gazebo was Shelly Pike, who was here with her husband.

“It is pretty patriotic to come out and watch the fireworks,” she said.

As the fireworks emblazoned the sky Aeris Blanton, 7, waved her arms toward the lights.

“It was so pretty, and the fireworks flew into the sky,” she said.

The Richard family was leaning on the rails where the sidewalk meets the road behind The Grand Hotel. “We are out here because my grandparents are in town,” Jordan Richard said. “We thought that the fireworks would be something cool to come see together

“We all enjoy pretty sparkling things in the sky.”

Terry Estes said that he thought that tonight would be a great night to come out with his family, who were in from Oxford.

“There was a little breeze blowing so the evening was nice,” he said. “I thought that it was great, very entertaining show.”