Sparks flew, BBQs smoked, music played, monster trucks roared and fireworks lit the skies throughout the area as Sanders County residents took advantage of beautiful summer weather to celebrate Independence Day.

Topping the activities was the Monster Truck event at the Sanders County Fairgrounds where trucks on automotive steroids delighted hundreds of fans in two separate shows.

Eric Swanson, driver of the Monster Truck “Obsession” was one of six professional drivers taking part in the day’s event. His truck, which like the others featured engines boasting 500-plus cubic inches in size and more than 1,500 horsepower in strength, was clearly one of the favorites among fans.

A resident of the San Diego area, Swan said he participates in approximately 30 shows a year throughout the country. The drivers and their crews perform in arenas ranging in size from the 4,000-seat Sanders County Fairgrounds to large baseball and football stadiums, he said.

“We appear in a lot of arenas like the one here in Plains,” said Swanson. “We want to put on a good show for fans no matter what size venue it is.”

Swanson said the typical monster truck costs about $250,000 to put together and roughly $100,000 a year to maintain. Much of those expenses are offset by sponsorships from auto and racing-related companies.

During the shows, the massive trucks, many of which sport tires nearly six feet in diameter, jumped dirt ramps over previously wrecked cars that were brought into the arena by the traveling Monster Truck crews. They also set up tight-cornered obstacle courses through which the thundering trucks created clouds of dust and flying dirt clods.

Kids and adults were also able to roar around the arena prior to the competition in the back of a special monster truck with seating for approximately 10 riders at $10 per person.

One of the riders was Pepper McCaslin, visiting the Plains area for the day with her family from Port Angeles, Washington.

“It was really fun,” she said. “It rattled my brain.”

While that event was going on, the annual Plains VFW picnic in the park was also taking across the Clark Fork River.

A steady crowd of VFW members and guests were treated to a free lunch featuring hamburgers and hot dogs expertly grilled by VFW Manager Gary Jensen.

The Night Rider Band also performed for those who attended the event at Fred Young park near city hall in Plains.

“This is a good thing for everyone,” said VFW member Aaron Foreman. “It’s good to be here and be part of this.”

A similar food and music event took place at the American Legion club in Paradise. Despite cancellation of the fireworks show, the event was well-attended and featured private fireworks from area residents.

Fireworks displays, both formal and informal, could be seen lighting the skies throughout the area. Fans who attended the evening show, as well as a large number of residents from throughout Sanders County who watched from outside the fairgrounds, were treated to a solid firework show.

Fireworks also filled the sky over the Symes Hot Springs Hotel in Hot Springs. An evening of food and music was capped by a crowd-pleasing aerial display.

While not as busy as in years past, thanks in part at least to COVID-19 related restrictions, local fireworks stands reported decent sales throughout the area.

“It’s not as much as normal but given the virus restrictions and reduced tourist traffic we’ve seen pretty good sales,” said Heylee Clinkenbeard, a Missoula resident who was working at the firework stand on Montana 28 just outside Plains.

“It’s not quite as much as last year but overall not too bad”, she said of this year’s sales.