Scotty McCreery, fireworks dazzle at ‘4th of July Celebration’

Written by Spencer Ricks
July 5, 2018

ST. GEORGE — Despite the 100-degree temperature and blazing sun Wednesday, thousands of patriotic revelers squeezed into Trailblazer Stadium for a Scotty McCreery performance and the biggest fireworks show in Southern Utah.

Country music, food trucks and fireworks were all part of the “99.9 KONY Country 4th of July Celebration.” Country singer Tim Gates opened for McCreery, a 24-year-old star from North Carolina famous for winning American Idol in 2011.

People sitting on blankets covered the entire football field while others crammed into the grandstands, including the recently completed east grandstand at Dixie State University’s stadium.

Between singing hits from his albums and other classic country songs, McCreery shared stories about his “Granddad Bill,” who died in 2015. He also spoke about his wedding last month to Gabi Dugal.

“This concert is my first as a married man,” McCreery said to the crowd. “It’s a little hard playing a guitar with a ring on your finger.”

The event wrapped up with a 25-minute fireworks show by the city of St. George. Music and patriotic words were coordinated with the bright fireworks blasts.

After the concert, 99.9 KONY Country personality Marty Lane hinted at another big country band coming to 2019’s “4th of July Celebration,” with some levity, indicating the effort is already underway to bring another great concert  next year.

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Email: [email protected]

Twitter:  @STGnews | @SpencerRicks

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2018, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Spencer Ricks is a Seattle native who graduated from Dixie State University in 2017. He is the former Editor-in-Chief of the Dixie Sun News – DSU's student newspaper. He has also written for KSL.com and Seattle Met Magazine, covering everything from local politics to flash floods.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews@SpencerRicks

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20 Comments

  • No Filter July 5, 2018 at 7:43 am

    It’s really sad that St. George only cares about making money. The 4th of July fireworks now seem to be for only the people that pay for tickets to a concert. The entire show is made specifically for concert attendees. Not everyone in town wants to pay money see the fireworks and many of us don’t like country music. When Vernon Worthen Park use to be the main spot to see the fireworks anybody could have front row seats to the show, but now we are forced to watch from the top of the hill with no grass for our blankets and no restrooms for our kids to use. You have gone downhill very fast St. George and I hope you like what you have become. The 4th of July is a celebration for everyone not just those who are willing to pay to see the fireworks display.

    • John July 5, 2018 at 9:00 am

      Cloggy, Tickets were free..only sold for the last few weeks.. Clueless PUTZ as usual.. waaah waaah waaah!

      • No Filter July 5, 2018 at 10:35 am

        Yeah that’s why they have the price on the ticket They were only free if your work sponsored the show and gave them to you or you won them from the radio. And what about the expensive passes for the carnival? I bet the city made a killing. It’s really sad that you have to make up stuff just to be able to call me a putz. Go troll the political stories.

        • John July 5, 2018 at 11:03 am

          That’s a crock of crap cloggy.. I got freebies and so did nearly 9000 other people. No one’s fault but your own you clueless crybaby PUTZ.. They were available and you were too stupid to go get them. Go cry to somebody who gives a crap. You can’t help but continue to prove how clueless and now helpless you really are..waaah waaah waaah!

          • No Filter July 5, 2018 at 2:10 pm

            From the KONY country website. “There are two ways to get tickets to this show. Stop by one of the KONY Country ticket stops OR tickets will be available for purchase starting on May 19th.” Why would they say “for purchase” in May if they were free? Once again you are proven wrong, but of course you will reply with the name calling. – The Crybaby Putz

          • John July 5, 2018 at 2:50 pm

            FREE tickets..dumb clueless cloggy..NO you are wrong.. 9000 people got free tickets and you weren’t one of them..hahahahahahahaha! PUTZ

          • No Filter July 6, 2018 at 12:04 am

            Must be hard making up all these lies, and really sad also. None of your friends are here to defend you because they know you are wrong. I won’t make you admit your wrong because I’m not that mean, so just admit it to yourself and forget about it. I’m done with you loser!

          • John July 6, 2018 at 3:16 pm

            Clueless. lazy and stupid… what a putz you are cloggy! Nothing will ever change that , it’s in your genes. WAS your uncle your father too? It sure does seem like you have been swimming in the shallow end of the gene pool a long time!

        • John July 5, 2018 at 4:38 pm

          Cloggy, just for you I would have torn up the 4 extra FREE tickets I had right in front of your clueless whiny face just to see you cry come more..

          • No Filter July 5, 2018 at 11:57 pm

            Just to prove you wrong like always John, here is my proof straight from STGnews

            https://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2018/04/26/hsr-win-tickets-to-99-9-kony-countrys-4th-of-july-celebration-with-scotty-mccreery-before-you-can-buy-them/#.Wz8D0hZMHYU

          • John July 6, 2018 at 10:19 am

            Cloggy, just because you were too stupid, ignorant and lazy to get free tickets only adds proff to the fact that you are a CLUELESS PUTZ… Wrong again .. damn you are stupid,,

          • John July 6, 2018 at 12:16 pm

            cloggy, I went to 3 ticket stops and I don’t think anyone went home without tickets.. It’s no one’s fault but your own that you were too lazy to get some for yourself. Quit your crying you clueless PUTZ! hahahahahahahaha!

          • No Filter July 6, 2018 at 5:04 pm

            You still can’t prove me wrong can you? Just so you know I did get free tickets from my work, but chose to give them to someone who actually likes has been country music singers. All the name calling in the world will still not prove you right. Keep up the good work with your lame name calling Lumpy, but I am done proving your an idiot for the weekend. I’ll get back to trolling you next week.

          • John July 6, 2018 at 5:26 pm

            Cloggy, I did prove you wrong.. you are just too stupid to see it you clueless moron PUTZ!

    • ilovestgeorge July 6, 2018 at 3:38 pm

      What are you talking about?! There were fireworks all over St. George…all you had to do was look up to see them!

      • John July 6, 2018 at 3:59 pm

        Clogged filter is just a clueless crybaby PUTZ. Always crying about something. Just make fun of him and he makes a bigger horse’s backside out of himself. Happens on here everyday the PUTZ comments. Try it, he’s easy to trigger. hahahahahahahaha!

  • Carpe Diem July 5, 2018 at 8:14 am

    Fireworks up against the freeway, which created a buffer zone of about 40% keeping citizens away from the event. Sorry, we’ve enjoyed the fireworks as they were in the past, much better acoustics between the cliffs. Not many cities have that. Maybe not everyone wants to go, “or able to go”, to a concert.

    • No Filter July 5, 2018 at 10:37 am

      glad I’m not the only one dissatisfied with the changes.

      • John July 5, 2018 at 11:04 am

        Clueless, crybaby PUTZ!

      • John July 6, 2018 at 4:00 pm

        Cloggy, if you had half a brain you would be bikeandfish! hahahahahahahaha!

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