NATCHEZ — Before Tisha Williams and her daughter Kayla picked a spot for the fireworks show Sunday, exploding colors and popping sounds stunned them still in a parking lot on High Street.

“It’s pretty,” Tisha said, staring at the sky.

Williams said they arrived a little late, so they simply stood in their tracks to take it all in when the show started.

“I like the pink,” Kayla said.

The display, which was sponsored by local businesses and coordinated by New Orleans company, Pyrotecnico, started at 9:15 p.m. and lasted approximately 12 minutes.

Other groups arrived more than an hour early to reserve prime seating.

Matt and Christie Robbins slid their truck right up to the bluff next to Christie’s parents’ truck by 8 p.m. They were well prepared with watermelon, coolers of drinks, and lawn chairs propped in the bed of their truck for comfortable viewing.

A half hour before the show started, Christie’s aunt, Joyce Hutchinson, who lives in Jackson, felt impressed with the turn out.

“It’s a solid crowd out here,” Hutchinson said.

“It gets better every year,” Matt Robbins said of the fireworks display.

Stacey Winchester said 13 people, mostly children, came with her to catch the show. The bed of her sister’s truck was turned into a playground before the show started.

“It gives (us) something to look forward to, especially for the small children,” Winchester said.

Taking offense, her 6-year-old son Devin added, “And big (children). Big and small.”

“I wish I could do it, but I’m not old enough,” Devin said of the pyrotechnics.

When the show started, the crowd grew quieter, except for a slow and low “Wow” in unison, after each ray of light popped off.

Anita Smith and her niece, Stephanie Franklin, who viewed the show from the hood of their Sedan, said the fireworks show was a great finale to a long day eating with family.

“I’m still full,” Franklin said with a laugh.

Along with at least 50 other family members and neighbors, both ate lunch at Smith’s son, Gregory Gibb’s house in Natchez to celebrate the holiday.

Smith and Franklin rattled off different dishes they enjoyed for lunch. They had barbecue, fish, watermelon, peach cobbler and roasted goat, to name a few.

“That was goood,” both said at the same time about the goat.

Smith enjoyed the day because the men took over the cooking.

“All I had to say all day was, ‘Where’s the barbecue sauce?’” she laughed.

Still, the long day of festivities and eating wore Smith out, and she planned her evening after the show accordingly.

“I’m going to take me a bath and go to bed,” she said.