Red, White & BOOM! returns to Columbus on Friday, with fireworks scheduled to launch from Genoa Park on the east side of COSI at 10 p.m. The full-day event will unfold across downtown, giving people a clear timeline for when the street festival, parade and final show will hit.
That schedule matters because Red, White & BOOM! draws more than 400,000 attendees annually, making it one of the city’s biggest summer gatherings. The street festival starts at 11 a.m., live performances at the Bicentennial Park Stage begin at noon, and the Ford Oval of Honor Red, White & BOOM! Parade leaves the Main Street Bridge at 6:30 p.m. before turning north of Front Street and ending at Front and Spring streets.
The night’s last live performance is set for 10:20 p.m., just before the fireworks, which keeps the event moving from daytime crowds into the evening show. The event is described as the largest fireworks show in the Midwest and runs along the Scioto Mile, with a schedule built to carry people through a long downtown celebration.
Friday’s forecast adds a wrinkle. Storm Team 4 says temperatures will reach the mid-90s, with a chance of a few pop-up thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening. The showers are expected to dry up in time for the fireworks, so the main concern is less whether the finale happens than whether the rest of the day stays on track long enough to get there.
For anyone who cannot make it downtown, the fireworks will be streamed on NBC4, NBC4i.com and the NBC4 streaming channel. That means the 10 p.m. launch from Genoa Park is still the finish line, even for viewers who decide to stay out of the heat and wait for the sky show at home.
