Columbia County getting ready for Boom! In the Park

EVANS, Ga. (WJBF) – This Independence Day is sure to be booming – in more ways than one.

Columbia County’s annual Boom! In the Park is Thursday, and organizers are expecting thousands of people to come out and enjoy everything the patriotic event has to offer.

There will be live music and food and beverage vendors.

“We kick the night off with the national anthem, and then we’ll have Whiskey Run and Ryan Trotti that will play for the evening,” said Janet Wheatley, the Programs and Events Manager for Columbia County. “We’ll have over thirty food, beverage and dessert vendors that will be here on-site.”

And of course there will be fireworks, complete with a laser show this year.

“It’ll be on the stage and around the stage. It’s new this year, so it’s going to be new for us to see exactly how it goes and everything, but it is a lot of lights,” Wheatley said.

It’s free to get in, and you can bring your own chairs and blankets, but no tents or canopies.

There are white marked safety lanes for the crowd to walk through.

“It’s also for emergency purposes,” Wheatley said. “So if EMS, police, fire, whoever may need to access that, we want to leave that open so they can drive their utility vehicles on that lane.”

With the hot temperatures we’ve been having recently, Wheatley said they’ve taken precautions to ensure safety.

“We have to do permitting, we have the fire department on standby, we have of course professionals that are shooting off the fireworks, but we do encourage everybody to bring water with you,” she said. “We say no food and beverage outside is allowed, but soft coolers with water is permitted. Bring your cooling towels, it’s going to be warm tomorrow.”

Parking is available at the government complex, the plaza, the parking garage, the market and handicap parking is at the Evans Surgery Center.

“We’re just looking forward to everybody coming out. We want you to come out and make memories with you families and your friends and enjoy a fun day of food and entertainment and fireworks,” Wheatley said.

Gates open at 5 p.m. and the laser and fireworks show starts at 9:15. For more information, click here.

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