Party, Fireworks and LEGO(R) Bricks

I’m writing this post after having attended the 4th of July celebration at the Queen Mary. It’s held every year, so I’m many weeks early for next year’s festivities! It’s a great way to spend the holiday, and if you plan early you might find some deals on outlets such as Groupon and Goldstar.

The Queen Mary provides a backdrop for many weather reports in the local Los Angeles area news. Long Beach is lucky to have it as a centerpiece of the city. Her story runs from 1929 to today, and the ship’s management has been working to keep the Queen Mary a popular destination by developing events that can be related to her past and present. The July 4th celebration is one such event.

Party

Extremely well attended, the party began at 2:00 PM and ended shortly after the 9:00 PM fireworks show. It’s an event for the entire family, and all the ship’s public areas were in use with decade-by-decade themed stages, carnival games, laser tag and more. We strolled from the 1920’s stage to the 1940’s USO singers and dancers, then headed up to the 1970’s Disco Stage and the 1980’s Neon Stage. I would have liked to have visited more areas, but time was against us. Note: You will want to arrive early if you want to have time to experience all the areas.

I really enjoyed everyone’s festive dress. Many were, of course, in the red white and blue shades of the American Flag, but others were dressed in clothing of a period of their choice. It’s a costume party of a different sort.

Fireworks

For the fireworks show, you should note that the fireworks are launched from the back of the ship, so if you want a clear view of the fireworks, head on up to the stern end of the ship. We were on the Sports Deck in the Country themed area. If you take a look at the fireworks photo, you can see a bit of the view. I was able to capture one of the smokestacks in the foreground. Not sure if that is possible from the stern decks.

LEGO® Bricks

And yes, there was LEGO® involved. It was the first thing we did as we headed to the Shipyard exhibit to view the 25’ long replica of the Queen Mary. Brought in pieces from England the ship, made by Bright Bricks, a company led by LEGO® Professional Duncan Titmarsh and partner Ed Diment. The model took 4 months to build and consists of approximately 250,000 LEGO® bricks! It is 25’ 11” long, 3’ 1” wide and 4’ 7” tall and took 600 hours to build.

If you’re interested in checking out the LEGO® display and can’t wait until next year’s 4th of July celebration, you can visit anyday (tickets available here) or plan to visit on one of the many themed days that the Queen Mary offers!