Boston’s Charles River Esplanade was back to normal by the morning of July 5, just hours after hundreds of thousands of people filled the park for the city’s annual Independence Day celebration.

This year’s event even ran on a slightly earlier schedule, allowing overnight cleaning crews a head start compared to previous years.

Within 30 minutes of the final fireworks fading over the Charles River at about 10pm, a cleanup team led by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) got to work.

A crew of approximately 50 DCR staff, comprising both full time and seasonal employees, worked through the night to collect trash, clear walking paths and ensure that both the Esplanade and nearby Storrow Drive could reopen by sunrise.

“DCR staff members work throughout the night and into the early morning cleaning up trash and preparing the Esplanade to reopen for visitors on July 5,” a spokesperson for the DCR said in an emailed statement.

The operation, which typically wraps up at around 5am the next morning, followed the agency’s well-established cleanup routine.

The DCR said that it does not hire additional staff specifically for the event, and the labor cost is covered through a combination of regular and overtime pay. Trash collection and disposal are handled in coordination with a private contractor, and while the agency does not quantify how much waste is removed, staff worked steadily overnight to restore the park’s appearance to its original condition.

Other elements of the post-event teardown, such as the removal of sound towers, lighting rigs and rows of portable toilets, are handled by the event’s production crews or outside vendors. While DCR is not responsible for the temporary restroom facilities, it oversees the restoration of the park itself, ensuring paths are cleared, trash bins emptied, and public areas returned to usable condition before the morning of July 5.

While some larger production structures may remain in place for a few days, the public areas of the Esplanade were fully reopened on schedule and any remaining equipment should be fully cleared by the time of this publication.

“The July Fourth festivities are a large-scale cooperation with DCR operations staff, park rangers, and event staff working in tandem with Massachusetts State Police, production staff and a variety of other federal, state, local and private organizations to ensure the show runs smoothly,” the DCR said. “Both the preparation for the event and the cleanup effort are carried out so that there are minimal impacts on park visitors, the natural environment, and commuters on nearby Storrow Drive.”

This year’s festivities ran smoothly, with no significant arrests or disturbances reported.

The weather also cooperated this year, which can be the largest obstacle to festival cleanup in the event of rain.