Aubuchon Strong

By DREW WINCHESTER, dwinchester@breezenewspapers.com

About 50,000 people are expected to hit downtown Cape Coral next Friday for the annual Red, White & BOOM! event; one of, if not the biggest 4th of July celebration in all of Lee county.

More than160 volunteers will make the event possible, covering operational aspects ranging from security to fireworks to garbage collection.

Fireworks Captain Tim Hauck, who’s been involved with BOOM for in various capacities for several years, said that work will begin on setting up the pyrotechnics on Thursday the 3rd, but the majority of the shells won’t be placed till the morning of the 4th.

“We’re going to be shooting off 1,300 shells, ranging in size from 3 inches to 10 inches,” Hauck said. “Three-inch shells are about the size of a softball, and the 10-inch shells are about the size of a basketball.”

Hauck also wanted to remind people traveling by boat to watch BOOM’s fireworks show, should be aware not to cross a buoy line in the river near the bridge. The bouy line is set up to keep people safe and away from the fireworks.

“They should be cautious and look for that line if they’re out on the water,” Hack said. “We have so many new residents and people each year, we just want to remind people the line is important to stay behind.”

Equally important for the event will be the food and drinks, which will be provided by Little Joe’s Special Events.

Owner Joe Almallah said the 25 vendors will have a great variety of food to complement standards like hamburgers and hot dogs.

“We try not to do the same thing over and over. We want the public to have more than just hamburgers and hot dogs,” Almallah said. “We’ll have some traditional foods, but also a lot of ethnic foods and local restaurants.”

Much like the fireworks, vendors will start rolling out their goods the morning of the event, with clean-up lasting till 2 - 3 the next morning. All food is cooked on site.

“We start as early as possible, we’re out there before the sun rises,” Almallah said, adding that it’s “harder to set up than take down.”

Proceeding the main fireworks event will be an “American Tribute”, during which local men and women serving our country in Iraq and Afghanistan will be recognized by a reading of their names. The tribute takes place at 9:30 on the main stage, roughly 15 minutes before the fireworks show.

To get a good seat for the show, BOOM chairman Joe Padgett recommends people arrive by at least 5 p.m., in order to park, and make it down to the bridge.

“You can get up close and personal,” Padgett said. “That’s where the stage is going to be set, so you can hear the music and have a great seat for the show.”

Padgett also assured that parking won’t be an issue, as two choices are available. Free parking will be available in designated areas downtown near Publix plaza and Big John’s, with free trolly service down to the bridge. And for those who want to be a bit closer, paid parking will be available on the east side of Del Prado, near 46th and 47th. Padgett highly encourages people use the trolly.

Red, White & BOOM! kicks off at 4p.m. on Cape Coral Parkway. Fireworks are tentatively scheduled to start between 9:30 and 10 p.m., weather permitting.

For more information contact Cape Coral Chamber of Commerce at 239-549-6900.