Columbia County is preparing to celebrate the Fourth of July with the annual BOOM! in the Park event on Tuesday, July 4.
This free, annual event will be held at Evans Towne Center Park, said Janet Wheatley, programs and events manager. There will be live music by the Kevin Mack Band and Whiskey Ru, who is the headliner.
“We’ll have food trucks and fireworks,” Wheatley said. “So, it’s just a fun night for the whole family. Gates open at 5 p.m., admission is free, the live music starts at about 6:30 p.m., fireworks are around 9:15 p.m.”
This is the 23rd year for the event, which started out at Patriots Park before moving to Evans Towne Center Park, Wheatley said.
“This is our largest event of the year, and we say typically we have anywhere between 10,000 and 12,000 people,” Wheatley said.
For those attending, Wheatley encourages everyone to bring chairs and blankets to sit on. She added that parking fills up quickly, but there’s plenty of places available around the area to park.
To prepare for the event, the county will be closing several roads around the park. According to a news release from Columbia County, Antebellum Way will be closed to traffic from 7 a.m. on July 4 until midnight. Evans Towne Center Blvd from Ronald Regan Drive to the Evans Towne Center Park parking lot will be closed to thru traffic from noon to midnight.
“Additionally, Evans Town Center Park off Ronald Reagan Drive (Playground entrance) from 10 p.m. (park closing) July 3 until 1 p.m. on July 4,” the news release said. “Gates behind the stage will be locked at 10 p.m. (park closing) on July 3.”
A lot of pedestrian traffic is expected, so drivers are reminded to pay attending to their surroundings and always obey instructions from law enforcement, the county said in the news release.
For more information, visit the Columbia County Parks, Recreation and Events Facebook page.
Stephanie Hill is a staff writer covering Columbia County government for The Augusta Press. Reach her at stephanie@theaugustapress.com.
