Family camps out for 17 hours to get the best view of Red, White & BOOM!

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – On the morning of Red, White & BOOM! families line Civic Center Drive with caution tape, hoping to secure a spot with the best view of the fireworks. 

Abby Silvia, a Columbus native, comes to BOOM! nearly every year with her family, as long as her husband is able to get the day off work. The family of four woke up bright and early around 3 a.m. and arrived to tape off their spot at 4:45 a.m.

“We like getting close enough for the fireworks, trying to pick a good spot that doesn't have so [many] trees and things like that,” Silvia said. 

The Silvias said they always use caution tape to save their spot. BOOM! allows attendees to mark their spots as early as 6 p.m. the evening before the event. Although the Silvias were one of the few families staked out on Civic Center drive at 9:30 a.m., a handful of other spots along the walkway were already taped off as well. 

Arriving early can pay off, as the Silvias secured a spot with seating right along the Scioto River. Waiting for over 17 hours for the fireworks does not phase Abby – she said she enjoys spending the day in downtown Columbus with her family. 

“I like to stay down here all day long because I like the parade and stuff,” Silvia said. “The parade is one of my favorite parts.” 

The family has a lot of people counting on them to secure a spot for the fireworks; they said about 45 of their friends are traveling to Columbus to watch the show with them in their taped-off area. 

The fireworks show, known as the biggest in the Midwest, is scheduled to start at 10 p.m. and last about 25 minutes. The colorful display will be shot over the Scioto River, fired within Genoa Park on the east side of COSI.