Red, White and BOOM! less than a month away
The Chose Greater Peoria Red, White and BOOM! looks to once again draw in hundreds of thousands of people, to prove once again they are the 'best fireworks show in Illinois.'
Every year, both sides of the Illinois River are lined with spectators. Some people stake out their prime watching spot early in the day and camp out. Others watch from as far away as Glen Oak Park.
According to state Rep. Jehan Gordan-Booth, the event is perfect for people of all ages.
'Whether you have a six-month-old or an 89-year-old parent or grandparent,' she said. 'Every age, every generation in between can come down here, feel safe, feel secure, and frankly, enjoy one of the treasures that we have in this country, celebrating our country's birthday.'
While 'Red, White, & BOOM!' sees large turnout, there's virtually no trace left Friday
Organizers are planning on having a great turnout, as they are partnering with other community groups in Peoria such as the Peoria Fire Department, Peoria Police Department and more to ensure safety.
Gordon-Booth said the event outdoes itself year after year.
'I think every year they find a way to make it a little bit better,' she said. 'That's the exciting part about the folks who have been around this for a while. We really keep leveling this opportunity up.'
To find how to get to the event, and where to park, click here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Boston Globe
19 hours ago
- Boston Globe
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a day ago
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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
How 'genetics' ads from American Eagle and Dunkin' triggered a cultural firestorm
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Slaughter appeared to be in Sweeney's corner, posting, "Attention (Sydney Sweeney), YOU GO GIRL," on X on Wednesday. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, posted, "Wow. Now the crazy Left has come out against beautiful women. I'm sure that will poll well." Said OutKick host Clay Travis on his show, "We're repudiating this idea that fat people and woke people advertising works." A Trump White House official also waded into the controversy, calling left-wing backlash and claims of a "shift toward Whiteness" more "cancel culture run amok." Not that it was only liberals who took issue with the ad. The satire site Babylon Bee poked fun at conservatives who reveled in Sweeney's ad, saying they were cheering "the death of wokeness as America finally returned to its Christian roots of objectifying women's bodies to sell stuff." 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Posts included users decrying Dunkin', along with comments speculating the interest in appearance, "What's up with ads and the word genetics rn," one commenter shared, receiving 40,000 likes. New Dunkin' Ad Mentioning 'Genetics' Follows Sydney Sweeney Ad In Triggering Social Media Top Culture/Trending podcast host of The Determined Society, Shawn French, shared his take on what these viral moments mean culturally, and what he believes this signals for the future of advertisements, with Fox News Digital. "This ad didn't go viral because of its fashion or branding. It became a lightning rod because it hit on deeper cultural anxieties," French told Fox News Digital. "In 2025, we live in a low-trust society where every piece of content is scrutinized for hidden meaning, bias or agenda. The Dunkin' and American Eagle ad wasn't just seen as a marketing play, it was interpreted as a statement, and depending on who you ask, it was either performative pandering or strategic trolling." "That kind of symbolic over-analysis is now the norm. We've trained audiences to decode everything, and brands are feeling the pressure from both the left and the right," French explained. French added that the backlash from conservatives, including satire, shows that even "the culture war crowd" is becoming exhausted by what they feel to be inauthentic branding, and that progressives also criticize without any real substance. "This isn't about jeans or coffee. It's about what side of the cultural fence people think you're on and if you're trying too hard to sell 'belonging' instead of building it," French said. When it comes to the future of advertising, French said that this moment reveals consumers have lost trust in storytelling by corporations, and that brands are being picked apart for "allegiance." "That kind of symbolic paranoia is a direct reflection of where we are as a culture: fractured, hyper-interpretive and desperate to know what and who we're really supporting," French said. 'The Five': Will Woke Outrage Over Sydney Sweeney Ad Help Dems With Their 'Glaring' Man Problem? While some have dubbed the American Eagle and Dunkin' campaigns "tone-deaf" due to the alleged racial undertones, others have praised the actress for killing "woke" advertising. Advertisements of the past have a history of marketing based on looks and attractiveness — including fellow clothing producer Abercrombie & Fitch, which some believe promotes exclusivity. CEO Mike Jeffries once said about his brand, "We go after the cool kids… a lot of people don't belong." Other well-known advertisements featuring marketing tactics tied directly to appearance include makeup company Maybelline Cosmetics' tagline, "Maybe she's born with it," which some argue is a reference to genetic inheritance. Despite the controversy, The Times reports that American Eagle has garnered more than $65 million in free advertising since the Sweeney advertisement launched on July 23 — with over four billion impressions. Comparatively, the clothing brand was operating at a $68 million loss in May of 2025. And $200 million was added to American Eagle's market capitalization by Monday. The War On Hot Women: Why The Woke Mob Hates Sydney Sweeney Public Relations and branding expert Eric Schiffer told Business Insider that, in reference to Sweeney, "She's going to be even bigger because of this." At the time of this article, no official numbers had been released for Dunkin' following the advertisement launch on July 29. When it comes to the future of business for brands, French noted that brands are judged by perceptions of their audiences by what the meaning of their advertisement is, not just what's being said. "Brands need to understand this isn't business as usual anymore. Every campaign is a Rorschach test, and people are no longer buying just for the product they're buying (or boycotting) what it represents," French said. Representatives for Dunkin', American Eagle, Sydney Sweeney and Gavin Casalegno have not responded to requests for article source: How 'genetics' ads from American Eagle and Dunkin' triggered a cultural firestorm Solve the daily Crossword
