Photos by Linh Nguyen and words by Irene Medina

It was rainy, foggy and even a little bit cold – but not even South Florida’s unpredictable weather was able to stop the celebrations of Independence Day on the grounds of FAU’s Boca campus.

Not only was FAU packed with nearly to 80,000 people the night of the Fourth of July, but it also went all out with an incredible array of festivities and fun activities for everyone in the family to enjoy.

FAU President Frank Brogan poses with his wife and son for a picture with the FAU mascot Owsley. “It’s a great family event,” says Brogan. “It’s been going on for at least 25 years and it’s a great event for people of all different ages.”

The Fourth of July celebration, hosted by FAU and funded by the City of Boca Raton, is a true family event. Many of the tents offered activities oriented toward children ages 5-12.

FAU thespians Lauren Tepper and Chelsea Gaddy perform a song from their current show Carousel.

The name says it all. To balance out the American food, A Taste of Africa brought just that, serving up African spiced kebobs of chicken, beef, and suasage, along with fried black eyed peas.