Instead of fireworks in the sky to mark the Fourth of July, in Alaska, there’s flying cars.

Thousands of Alaskans celebrated July 4th with their signature car launch, where more than a dozen automobiles are thrown off a cliff on a remote hillside.

The eclectic event, held in Glacier View, AK, in Matanuska-Susitna, in the south central part of the state, marked its 20th anniversary this year.

It welcomed the largest crowd in its history to watch the empty vehicles, from police cruisers to buses, go airborne and tumble down the steep hill, according to Alaska’s News Source.

Tickets cost $20 for adults and $10 for children, and there was also pizza, sandwiches and ice cream available for spectators to purchase on the premises.

Fans from around the world traveled as much as thousands of miles to witness the debauchery, and Last Frontier TV also live streamed the event for those who couldn’t make it in person.

“It’s, to me, probably the most quintessentially American way I can think of to celebrate the 4th of July,” a man who traveled there from Florida told the outlet.

Forget fireworks. For one small US town, Independence Day is all about sending cars soaring off a cliff. For nearly two decades, Glacier View in Alaska has celebrated the Fourth of July with a spectacle that’s thrilling and a little bit insane.

While most places light up the night sky with fireworks, Glacier View illuminates the day with the screams of metal martyrs.

“You gotta see cars fly,” one attendee told Alaska News Source.

Videos online show vehicles, some with the American flag painted over them, achieving a brief moment of glory before transforming into crumpled heaps of metal at the bottom of the cliff.

But at least they went out with a bang, as a swan song of rock anthems like Creedence Clearwater Revival’s ‘Fortunate Son’ and Nickelback’s ‘Burn It to the Ground’ blared in the background.

According to Alaska News Source, this year’s event boasted the most airborne automobiles yet, with a dozen taking a one-way trip down the rocky bluff.

Everything from police cruisers to buses dived off the cliff, much to the delight of a thousands-strong crowd that arrived as early as 8:45 am to snag the prime viewing spots.

This quirky tradition, which some consider “the most quintessentially American way” to celebrate the Fourth of July, has become a magnet for thrill-seekers around the world.

For just $20, one can witness automotive acrobatics and witness the kind of freedom that only comes from launching a car off a cliff (safely, of course – no drivers were harmed in the making of this celebration).

So how exactly do these cars fly? According to a report by Roadtrippers, some get a little help from a monorail, while others are launched freewheeling, most with a simple block of wood keeping the pedal to the metal.

The result? Cars soaring through the air, performing daredevil stunts (unintentionally, of course) before meeting their final destination in a hail of scrap metal.

PARKERSBURG, W.Va. (WTAP) – Kirk Greenfield and 24 guests from the Mid-Ohio Valley began their 12 days trip to Alaska on Friday, July 5th.

Starting with a 4 AM wake up, Kirk and hcompany assembled at the Baymont Inn in Marietta to board the motor coach, and begin their 3 hour trip to Pittsburgh International Airport. The trip went well with all arriving on time, and the flight left at 11 a.m. for a connection in Chicago.

Starting with a 4 AM wake up, Kirk and company gathered at The Baymont Inn to board a motor coach for the three hour ride to Pittsburgh airport. We ran on schedule and all went well, meeting our tour director Sherry.
A short hop to Chicago for a connecting flight gave some a chance for shut eye, and then a four hour flight to Seattle was next. This plane was also full. Eventually, the Rocky Mountains came into view, and we were thrilled to see snowcapped mountain ridges sail by. The largest mountain by far was Mount Rainier, which can be seen most anywhere from Seattle, including our hotel for the night.

Some chose to go right to bed, while others decided to find a bit to eat either in the hotel restaurant or across the street as a variety of smaller eateries, including Subway, the 13 coins Steakhouse, the Hawaiian Hibachi and more.

I have always said that the first day is the hardest, in part because of working the evening shift, and then having to turn around and drive to the pick-up point before dawn. The good news is that our Holiday Vacations Tour Director is very experienced and has it all under control. In addition to our 24 MOV travelers, there are six more coming from Chicago and a family of ten who will also be with us, for a total of 42 on this trip.

We are all excited to start our three day cruise with Holland America on the inland waterway tomorrow, Saturday and visit Canadian and Alaskan ports of call all the way up to Skagway. But more on that later. It’s time for some much needed shut-eye.

*(One small sad point: We were disappointed to discover that our favorite T-Rex skeleton “Sue” at the Pittsburgh airport is not visible while reconstruction work is going on. It’s a favorite landmark that we had been hoping to snap pictures of and shoot a video for the folks back home. Perhaps another day of upon or return.)

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