The patriotic spirit of July 4 emerged victorious in the battle against abysmal weather Sunday night, despite the quickening drizzle as the fireworks progressed to their highly anticipated grand finale.

Varying shades of red, white and blue in a sea of sparklers, golden "chandeliers," a ground-level Pirates of the Caribbean-inspired battleship scene, and red hearts dotting the sky in time with songs by The Monkees and the Beach Boys were among the evening's highlights.

The fireworks outside the Bryce Jordan Center, originally scheduled to start at 9:20 p.m., began half an hour late because of the rain, causing many fans to huddle for shelter and wait patiently for the culmination of the day's activities.

Central PA 4th Fest communications chair Skip Webster said the possibility of delaying the fireworks to July 5 was small.

"If there was a torrential downpour all day, it would have been postponed," he said. "It's kind of like getting a present after your birthday. It means a lot, but it's not the same. You want to see fireworks on the Fourth of July."

Though no exact cost estimate exists, postponing the fireworks until July 5 would have cost thousands of dollars, Webster said.

Ken Winters of Havertown and his wife sold yo-yo balloons -- multi-colored balloons filled with water and attached to elastic strings -- outside the Jordan Center.

"We've been here three years," he said. "Even though the threat of rain has been here, it's the best business we've had."

Other businesses said they had been negatively affected by the overcast skies.

Snow cone vendors Sandra and Robert Morgan of Mt. Union said they had participated in July 4 festivities for the past four or five years. They said sales seemed a little slower than in the past, but they enjoyed the glittering display nonetheless.

"It was wonderful," Sandra said.

Brianna Reed (junior-biology) said the rain did not bother her.

"It's the Fourth of July. If there are going to be fireworks, it's going to be worth it," she said. "Last year was awesome."

Luke Havrilla (junior-architecture) said he and his friends drove about two hours from Northern Cambria to see the fireworks. He added that he enjoyed last year's show more because it did not rain.

Webster said the fireworks were still able to go off despite the wet conditions because all of the shells had been covered in plastic for several weeks prior to July 4.

"There were very few failures because of the water, but there were a few," he said. "That's to be expected when you have 10,000 shells ... a few of them just won't work."

A crowd estimated at 75,000 was expected, but Webster said there was no official tally.

"I think some of the older people left, but it was the Fourth of July celebration to be remembered," he said. "You just incorporate that rain into the fun of the activity."