A huge party on the Lake Erie shore Sunday night lightened the mood with classic rock ’n’ roll and fireworks.

It was a particularly welcome respite for Jerry and Velda Buchanan of Tulsa. Just days earlier they finished a European vacation with a night in Nice, France.

They left two hours before a terrorist attack killed more than 80 people at a Bastille Day celebration. The Buchanans had stayed less than three blocks from the park where the attack occurred and had been invited to attend. The woman who invited them is still missing.

“The French were trying to get back to everyday life after the attacks in Paris,” said Jerry Buchanan. “This has cut them off at the knees.”

Buchanan said the incident in Nice and concerns about violence at the RNC did not affect the couple’s plans to attend the convention.

In fact, security for the convention is so strict that a large portion of downtown Cleveland is completely shut down and barred to those without security credentials. Those attending the Sunday night party in many instances had to walk a mile or more and went through three security checks.

The Swon Brothers from Muskogee performed Monday between afternoon and evening sessions.