The Central PA 4th Fest puts on one of the most well-regarded Independence Day shows in the country-- but this year the show hit an unforseen snag that almost had organizers scambling.

After a Feb. 14 fire destroyed 20 fireworks warehouses in China, it was unclear whether this year's cache of fireworks would reach State College in time for Friday's 4th Fest. Without the usual supply, backup fireworks would have had to be used, said Bernie Keisling, executive director of 4th Fest.

Luckily for Keisling, though, the 10,500 fireworks shells arrived last Friday night, and volunteers spent all weekend getting the shells ready for the show.

"We were very concerned," Keisling said. "But when the fireworks arrived, we were deliriously happy."

With the fireworks at hand, the nationally acclaimed 45-minute display is set to kickoff at 9:20 p.m. Friday. It will be set to music played by 93.7 The Bus. Accuweather.com is predicting scattered thunderstorms for Friday, but Keisling said although thunder and lighting could cause a delay, the show will go on rain or shine.

"No matter what comes down, the fireworks will still go up," Keisling said.

The fireworks usually attract between 50,000 and 70,000 people from across the state, but organizers expect a larger-than-average crowd because this year's event is on Friday night, Keisling said.

And, according to www.fireworks guide.com, the 4th Fest fireworks are rated as the third best 4th of July fireworks show in the nation.

Spencer Sandy (freshman-division of undergraduate studies) said he's heard impressive reports from upperclassmen about the fireworks.

"I'm pretty excited, I heard it was one of the best shows in the country," Sandy said.

During 2007's 4th Fest, Central Pennsylvania July 4th, Inc. conducted a survey asking 2,564 attendees how far they had traveled to join in on the celebration. Twenty-seven percent of people surveyed said they came from distant Pennsylvania, which included places such as Scranton, Philadelphia, Erie and Lancaster. Eight percent of attendees said they had come from out-of-state.

The high percentage of people from out of town is because of the high quality of the show and word of mouth, Keisling said.

"Each year is so successful, but we're constantly looking for ways to improve it," Keisling said.

As for the fireworks themselves, Keisling said the ground fireworks often take different shapes, such as cartoon characters or patriotic symbols, but the exact forms remain a closely guarded secret. Keisling said this weekend's show may involve "mechanical movement."

Plus, the Penn State Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics will present a new feature this holiday. The department will hand out 25,000 special eyeglasses that will let observers identify the individual atoms that create the different colors in the fireworks, according to a press release. The eyeglasses are the same kind used in research by astronomers. NASA sponsors the program, according to the release.

"There's a nice tie-in to how the masks work and what astronomers do when they are doing their research," Dr. Christopher Palma, the associate director of outreach for Penn State, said.

John McGuigan (senior-biochemistry and molecular biology) said the glasses might make him more likely to attend.

"It makes it different from just a normal fireworks show," McGuigan said.

The department will have a table at the Founders Mall near the Bryce Jordan Center.

As for other activities planned for the 4th Fest celebration, they all fall into this year's theme of "rally around the flag," a slogan that represents the reason Americans celebrate the 4th of July in the first place, Keisling said.

The day will start early, with the Firecracker 4K Race at 9 a.m., which follows a course that begins at Beaver Stadium and runs through the Penn State campus and ends at East Halls. Participants will be divided into eight age groups, and a prize will be given to a member of each group, as well as awards for overall male and female participants.

Throughout the day there will be opportunities for face painting and hot air balloon rides.

Penn State athletes will be on hand to play games with children at 6 p.m. at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, the home of the State College Spikes. 4th Fest organizers expect one to two dozen athletes to participate. Keisling did not have a list of the athletes participating.

To show support for the troops on the day of patriotism, there will be a military vehicle display, as well as an "Operation Thank You" booth. The military vehicles on display will include the AH-64 Apache helicopter, the M998 Humvee, the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, the M488 Atlas forklift and the M1126 Stryker armored combat vehicle, Keisling said.

As part of the "Operation Thank You" booth, people can bring packaged food items such as gum, instant coffee and potato chips, as well as comfort items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant and disposable razors. Leisure items such as music CDs, DVDs and yo-yo's are also welcome.

Cards will be provided and will cost a $1 donation per signature or $10 per card. The money raised from the cards will be used to send the care packages to U.S. overseas personnel. The booth will be on Curtin Road between the Bryce Jordan Center and Beaver Stadium.

Even after the fireworks, fun is scheduled to continue in parking lot 44 with a disc jockey and dancing in the lot, Keisling said.

Shawn Whyte, Class of 2008, said he attended last year's fireworks show. He added it was a bigger event than he expected and plans to attend again this year.

"There are fireworks," Whyte said. "I don't see why I wouldn't go."