For 57 years, Blue & Gold Day has been a staple event for students and families at Phoenix Country Day School. From rides to obstacle courses to free food and drinks, the event is both memorable and fun in so many ways.
It begins with the annual pep rally in Najafi Gym, highlighted by the Senior Boys’ Dance, riveting basketball shooting competitions, Seniors versus Teachers dodgeball games, and many more events involving students across all three divisions. The varsity volleyball game after school is another fan-favorite of the night, with the #1-ranked Eagles always delivering a great game. Later, rides and games open on the baseball field as food trucks pull up, ready to welcome students. However, the tradition many families and students look forward to most is the evening’s culminating event: the fireworks show. Bright sparks light up the evening sky as students sit with family and friends on blankets spread across the grassy hill next to the field.
The fireworks have always offered one of the most sentimental moments for Seniors, representing the end of their final Blue & Gold celebration and symbolizing the beginning of the end of their time at PCDS. Unfortunately for the Class of 2026, due to a rare thunderstorm from earlier this week, their final fireworks show will not be the famous, nostalgic display they experienced in previous years.
In an email sent to all PCDS students and families on Thursday afternoon before this year’s event, Head of School Mr. Rodin informed everyone that recent inclement weather had left the lower field—where the fireworks are usually launched—covered in deep mud and therefore out of service. He wrote, “Unfortunately, this is the only place from which we can safely launch our amazing fireworks. So, sadly, this year we must offer a ‘junior’ version of the famous fireworks show at the end of the evening.”
This sad situation means that the Class of 2026 will not be getting the fairy-tale, bittersweet firework ending they had both been looking forward to and dreading for years. However, no matter how small the show may be, it will still be a magical night for seniors to reminisce on their past years and reflect on the time they have left.
