The annual Cincinnati Bell/WEBN fireworks are a celebration of our river heritage. Each year the event becomes larger, which means more congestion for spectators. Last year's attendance was more than 400,000, and that was with poor weather. While competing with nearly half a million people, finding a desirable seat can be difficult.
Knowing where to park, what to bring and where to sit can make the spectacle enjoyable. The best way to get a good seat is to arrive early. The fireworks don't start until 9:05 p.m., but there will be events taking place all day for Riverfest. It's a good idea to arrive early to get a desirable seat.
One of the most popular places to watch the fireworks from Northern Kentucky is Devou Park. The hill-top offers a great view of the fireworks and the Cincinnati skyline. Other popular spots are the Newport Riverfront, the Covington Floodwall and the Serpentine Wall in Cincinnati.
It's always a good idea to bring something to sit on such as a blanket or folding chairs. If you plan on attending during the day, don't forget to bring sun block. Also, remember to wear comfortable shoes and plan on walking a considerable distance.
Alcohol, drinks, coolers, and pets are not permitted at the event. Plan on bringing extra cash because outside food and drinks are restricted.
Other events at Riverfest include live music at Sawyer Point, where bands play on two stages all day. Those are just some of the reasons that thousands of tri-staters will gather once again to be on or near the river, to have some fun and to anticipate a very large boom.
Riverfest and the Cincinnati Bell-WEBN Fireworks have become a tradition in this river city. It has become such a smoothly run, almost taken-for-granted event.
It all started when an irreverent rock station wanted to throw a party for itself. In 1977, WEBN owner Frank ''Bo'' Wood - a confessed pyromaniac - celebrated the first decade of his station by shooting off some fireworks.
Even Wood was surprised when tens of thousands of people showed up that first year. And he perhaps never realized his idea of a rock-based soundtrack to accompany the fireworks was the first of its kind in the country. That initial effort was such a spectacular promotion that it has since been copied by dozens of radio stations around the land. The Toyota-WEBN fireworks may not be the biggest fireworks show in the country, but it is generally recognized as the most dense display - with 7,500 shells totaling 50,000 pounds going off in 30 minutes to the synchronized soundtrack.
The event has evolved from that first innocent fireworks show to a display where computers now run the high-tech blast, corporate sponsors line up to make sure you are entertained and city officials on both sides of the river promote it as a family event. Riverfest has also turned into a major corporate marketing event, with a staggering list of sponsors, as well as a charitable event. The FreeStore/FoodBank is the beneficiary of the Rubber Duck Regatta, for example, which raised $200,000 in one year.
THE FIREWORKS.
The first few years WEBN attempted to coordinate a music soundtrack with a fireworks show; it was hardly a high-tech production.
''We started a tape, we started the fireworks and everyone prayed,' said Jay Gilbert, one of the few WEBN staffers still around who remembers the first 1977 show. ''Judging by what we have been able to do in recent years, I'd say the first synchronization was a total failure.''
Flash forward to today when the fireworks and music are fired by a computer.
''We now have the ability to break the show down and synchronize it to music to the tenth of a second. We have pinpoint cues,'' said Joel Moss, WEBN's creative services director.
Even Moss, who has produced the last 14 fireworks soundtracks, is awed by the ability to use a computer to produce a complex and dense show where the music matches perfectly with the booms.
''Of course people are always nervous about giving control to computers, but we feel comfortable that this will make for a very incredible show,'' he said as he fingered through a 50-page document that plots the fireworks and music down to the last second. Moss's soundtracks have always been mini-documentaries of the pop culture scene, and this year's should be no different. He hinted you can expect music and voice drops ranging from the ''Titanic'' soundtrack to ''South Park,'' from Frank Sinatra to Howdy Doody.
The basics
Fireworks: Zero hour is 9:05 p.m. on the Sunday before Labor Day. The synchronized musical soundtrack can be heard on 102.7 WEBN-FM.
Permitted: blankets, radios tuned to WEBN.
Admission: Free (except in Newport, which charges $1 for clean-up costs).
Information: 1-800-368-5647.
No comments:
Post a Comment