Heavy rain and lightning forced the sudden cancellation of Jacksonville’s highly anticipated "Stars, Stripes, and Sounds" festival.
The Sunday event at the Jacksonville Commons Festival Grounds—organized to kick off celebrations for America's 250th anniversary—was officially called off by Jacksonville North Carolina Government officials as a line of severe summer storms rolled through Onslow County.
The free festival was set to feature a massive, 150-musician patriotic concert alongside military displays and local food vendors.
Despite the outdoor washout, musicians from the 2nd Marine Division Band and the Band of America’s Few still treated lingering crowds to an impromptu indoor performance under the overhang of the Jacksonville Commons Gymnasium.
Jacksonville Parks and Recreation officials said there are no plans to reschedule the event.
