Celebrating America's birthday. On Tuesday tens of thousands flocked to the river fronts in both Rock Island and Davenport for a look at the show in the sky. Red, White and Boom! is one of the biggest fireworks displays in the Quad Cities area, and this year it was even bigger.
Another milestone meant twice as big of a show. Fireworks were not only shooting from the barge on the river near LeClaire Park in Davenport, crews were also firing them off just upriver on the Rock Island Arsenal. This week marks the arsenal's 150-year anniversary. The fireworks display Tuesday was about bringing the community together for an all out celebration.
A show in the sky. For more than twenty minutes in a constant stream the fireworks dazzled crowds on both sides of the river and, for the first time, from both sides of the river. It's about celebrating America and a sesquicentennial of service to the country. "150 years service to a country deserves all the recognition it can get," said Ken Croken, Chairman of the Red, White and Boom! organizing committee.
More than a ton of explosives, about 2,500 shells, and Red, White and Boom! doubled its show for 2012. Organizers asking to tie in the Rock Island Arsenal's anniversary as part of the festivities. "Red, White and Boom has always been a celebration of American independence. The tie in to the Rock Island Arsenal is a natural," added Croken.
A bigger show means bigger crowds. People started showing up early in the afternoon on the river front expecting to see an impressive display. The army of sponsors behind the event stepped up to double the budget this year to about $45,000. Organizers say, including the arsenal for future fireworks shows is a new tradition they'd consider for future years. "Yes, we'll be looking forward to doing this again in the future," said Croken, "free, family friendly, and becomes a lifetime memory for the kids of the Quad Cities."
Along with 4th of July festivities throughout the area, there area some special events planned on the arsenal on Saturday for its big anniversary. That includes a performance by the U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team. Click Here for information on the sesquicentennial and a schedule of activities.
The day before though, on Friday, the KWQC team is getting an amazing opportunity. Bailey Deitz will be joining in a jump. She'll be taking the plunge with one of the team members Friday evening and you'll see it all right here on KWQC TV-6.
