CAROLINA BEACH, NC (WWAY) -- The summer season kicked off with Carolina Beach's first Boardwalk Blast to celebrate Memorial Day.
Hundreds of people came out to enjoy live music, carnival rides, and the fireworks display, which started at 9.
While the fireworks were held on Friday this time around, they will be held every Thursday night for the remainder of the summer.
While many people came out to enjoy the fireworks, others, like Bill Buckley, said it's important to remember the real meaning of Memorial Day, which honors members of the military killed in service during deployments overseas or in training.
"It's about all the people who made the supreme sacrifice for our country," Buckley said. "So, it started in Waterloo, New York, from upstate New York where I'm from. And it's just a day to remember the people who defended our nation."
On May 5th, 1866, the village of Waterloo was decorated with flags at half mast as veterans, civic societies, and residents marched to the three village cemeteries.
2 years later, Waterloo switched the celebration date to May 30th.
As for the present day, some people who attended Friday night's show in Carolina Beach said they were a bit disappointed the fireworks display only lasted for 7 minutes.