Congressmen Biggs and Stanton briefly spoke to the crowd gathered to celebrate Independence Day in Mesa. Chandler's celebration was without fireworks.
Tens of thousands of East Valley residents flocked to Mesa to celebrate Independence Day. The celebration featured historical re-enactments of the Revolutionary War, with black powder rifles. The event had a car show, a military vehicle exhibition and a BMX stunt show.
Greg Stanton, a Democrat, currently represents Arizona's 9th congressional district. Stanton is running in the new 4th district because of a re-drawn district map. Andy Biggs, a Republican, represents Arizona's 5th congressional district and is currently running for re-election. Mesa mayor John Giles, a Republican, was the final speaker. The three men spoke from the main stage just before the fireworks started.
A number of East Valley cities, including Chandler and Tempe, did not have fireworks this year. City officials stated that supply chain issues prevented them from procuring fireworks displays.