It is supposed to be a patriotic event. Where were the patriotic songs. I only heard two!!!

The music sucks, I feel like I am shopping at the mall. WNCI play something that everyone can relate to, not just mom and her 15 year old daughters read more

Don't have their crop together. Got kicked off the bridge for safety after being there all afternoon. Then still people on the bridge in our spot .:( . Crowed and lack of direction. Seems to be more about money than the independence day. read more

There are tons who do not feel that going downtown for fireworks is worth it.... I disagree. You DO have to go down with the correct mind set and have a going with the flow attitude. The fireworks are spectacular. However, I do NOT recommend sitting right on the water; you're in the debris zone! You have a great potential of being in harms way of flaming embers, pieces of paper, and you WILL get debris in your eyes. This is a free event - minus food, so it's totally worth it! read more

I used to come down to Red, White, and Boom every year and watch it from my father's office. He worked in the courthouse so it was a great way to not have to look for parking, not have to look for a place to set up, not have to worry about port-o-potties, and generally just enjoy the evening. But I've only actually been to the epicenter of Red, White, and Boom once when I was 18 and had signed a contract that I would be there. Once is enough. If you've never been, you really should. Just experience it once and then you'll never have to again. This year I took part in the Parade with the Red Cross and couldn't believe how short the parade was and how few floats and attractions there were in it. I watched the fireworks from a friends' house and they were OK. But they looked pretty much the same as they did when I was 18... And do I even mention the crazy, drunken drivers all trying to get home? read more

See all

I have mixed feelings about Red, White and Boom. I am well aware of the ugly aggressive thugs that find themselves here at RWB, and for some reason they are always out at this event causing problems. So for the longest time I stayed away from RWB, I don't want trouble. know what I'm sayin. But then my girlfriend told me about renting kayaks and paddling out on the onlentangy to watch the fireworks. I thought hey, maybe gangsters cant swim? lol. So we headed out on our rented kayaks and found ourselves having a wonderful time. The fireworks were popping right above us, and felt like they were coming right at us! and in some ways were haha. There was this dude two yaks over who had a piece of firework land in his lap. "AH HOT!" he said as the fragment landed in his lap and quickly cooled off after it had landed. Once he had gotten over it, ANOTHER FRAGMENT landed on him in the same spot, haha. Move your Yak bro, your in the danger zone. I found being in the water this year was the way to go, if you don't mind other ppl bumping you from time to time. It's kind of understood that nobody has anchors and the current kinda pushes you around. So most ppl don't really get too upset. I enjoyed myself, but I'm well aware of the madness on land. So its a 50-50 shot with me. read more

Red White and Boom - RWB - Festivals Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

See all

Not a fan of the traffic and how short the show is (compared to how long we wait). But it's great getting to watch my son's face when the fireworks go off! read more

Red White and Boom - Red, White, and Boom 2018 - Festivals Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Ive lived in Columbus, Ohio my entire life and ive never had the experience to witness the fireworks up close like I did last night at red, white and boom. It was so amazing to see everything close up. What a way to kick off your fourth of july weekend!! Also dating a Cota city bus driver isnt so bad either because i didnt have to worry about parking, his company drove most of the people home for free read more

Well first time, plenty of room but it is early. 630. .. Love the atmosphere live music, vendor food. byob it's cheaper . don't forget your cups. Parade was cool. No one has been rude. Everyone is having a good time. Park near the interstate entrance. Hope the fireworks blow my mind! !!! read more

Ugh.. this gets worse each year. I am somewhat of a hater of large crowds, so this is not really my thang. Parking is a biatch (surprise surprise), lines for beer are redic, and the people seem to get more obnoxious each year. The first year I went (4 years ago) it was a lot of fun. The2nd time it rained so the crowds were close to non existent! It was great. The next year the crowd was huge and lines for drinks and food were insane. we watched from a parking garage which was kind of cool and different and out of the crowds. Last year it was really crowded and annoying and full of ignorant people and I swore to never return. The thing that REALLY ticked me off was that a family of 4 would section off close to a 1/4 acre of grass with freaking caution tape so their children can play frisbee while the rest of us walk aimlessly looking for 2 ft of space to park our butts on. Ugh! The fireworks are a good show for sure! I have seen works in Chicago, Louisville KY, and Columbus. Columbus currently ranks 3rd, but that doesn't mean they were bad, the other 2 are just that awesome. read more

Red, White, and Boom is a Columbus must-do, at least once. Don't feel like you have to go every year, though. 2012 marked my return to watching the fireworks downtown. Previously, I'd been driven away by the large, obnoxious crowds (but hey! people watching is primo), parking situations, heat, and general discomfort over 15 minutes (at most) of fireworks. This year, however, I have a convenient German Village address, so I had a pre-party cookout in the comfort of my own home before walking downtown just before the big event. I also have a convenient office in the Huntington Center, so I watched them from the cool, indoor comfort of the 33rd floor. This made it so I was pretty much eye-level with the explosions. Pretty neat! Still, I missed that *boom* feeling in my chest watching outdoors and in range of the ash. As far as the actual show-- the idea is that the fireworks are set to sync with the soundtrack on radio station WNCI (97.9). To me, they didn't seem to match up all that well. Have you ever watched cartoons on mute with rap music on? It was kind of like that. You can't tell if it's synced up or if the occasional collaborativeness is coincidental. Also, the songs were too short! I'd totally start getting into a patriotic song, and it would switch to something else. I would have liked more Sousa. Go experience it at least once in the crowds. After that, don't go unless you have access to a private viewing party downtown. read more

Awesome fireworks! Would compare to Taste of Chicago! Great view along the river....wouldn't change a thing. Heard a lot of bad vibes about traffic, but with the big city its something to get used to. I'm a city girl so I can't complain. Will be back! read more

First time to experience Red, White and Boom. I had heard horror stories and raving reviews....so I had no idea what to expect! Parked on down Spring street with a straight shot into the interstate....good call. The walk wasnt bad except for the ice chest we lugged with us. After checking out the perimeter we landed at Bicentennial Park. We were able to watch the stage, the parade and the fireworks display. Food trucks were stationed there too-so we tasted the fare! A mechanical bull (actually a shark) was a cool little deal. There really wasn't as much for kids as I would have liked to see; a better variety of vendors was another opportunity that would serve the festival well. One band distributed bubbles and blow up beach balls to all the kids - what a absolutely fabulous thing for them to do!!!! The fireworks spectacular was about 25 minutes long! I have never before seen such a long show! They were so beautiful. Few opportunities but overall fantastic festival for the family (and our out of town guests)! read more

Considering it was in the high 90's the Wednesday of RWB, and people always come out early to stake and claim their spot for the show in the sky, I thought the fireworks severally sucked this year! Why is this such a big deal Gwen? Well, last year's RWB show sucked - I mean a half-a** job. I was told afterward that the city was conserving on the budget for fireworks last year, because this years RWB show was going to be honoring Columbus' 200 Bicentennial! Thus, the city was going to put extra funds down to make this year's sky extravaganza one to remember! But... It was not spectacular. Yes, there were a few new fireworks, that haden't ben used before (cubes, smiley faces), but nothing else to make you "oooo" and "awwwwwe". It was promised that it would last 25-30 minutes this year - if it did, then the breaks of nothingness helped to fill the void :( And, for goodness sakes, they still have the nerve, after several years, to still play the same, BORING, music to accompany the show!! All the heat, mixed with the disappointed anticipation? Not a happy camper. read more

This was my first major event since arriving to Columbus. I had heard it all from checking it out to avoiding it like the plague. I took the option of checking it out and glad to say I did. I lucked out by living in close promixity to being able to park and take the COTA shuttle down to the event. My only complaint was that the bus fare needed to be more publicized. I was charged not only $5 for the round trip by the Red, White, and Boom comittee members, but also another $2 by the driver of the bus. Not that I am complaining, was definately worth the cost of not trying to fight the traffic to downtown. I arrived downtown in about 20 minutes and off loaded into the heart of things. I was still about 3hrs before the first firing, so it gave me some time to wander the area and grab a bite to eat. I found a nice sitting area in the midst of people, even though I felt like the creepy guy since I had just moved here and didn't know a soul. The fireworks began and while I was impressed with the show itself, I wasn't overly impressed. I attribute this though to the fact that I was on our volunteer 4th of July Committee back home, so took special heart to our display thinking it was the best. At the end of the display, I was able to walk 2 blocks hop the bus and was back home by 11pm. I am only giving it four stars though because of 3 reasons. 1) I hold that our fireworks back home are the best 2) If you are not a crowd person, this event would not be for you. 3) It was sort of depressing for me, seeing the fireworks alone. Hopefully next year, I'll have a good group of friends to attend with. read more

Where ... where did all of the cartoonish-looking people come from?! I went alone last year, using for the first time the COTA to head downtown--as a matter of fact, I think that was my first time venturing outside the OSU area and entering the nucleus of Columbus as well. As I often do now when I'm off campus in Ohio, I felt like a tourist fascinated by the masses of mid-American stereotypes most likely pouring into the city from outlying small towns. Mine was an experience perhaps more exaggeratedly American than any I've ever had back home in D.C., making Red, White, and Boom an excellent carnival-food-scented event for people-watching and celebrating the original thirteen colonies' independence from the British Empire. With that said, the fireworks display was lovely, despite my disdain for loud popping noises (like the kind made by that Civil War-era cannon across the river that would boom at irregular intervals, maybe roughly every fifteen minutes--appropriately patriotic BUT STILL NOT COOL [and startling]). And because I [am forced to] use public transportation, the traffic gridlock ensuing from the post-festival mass exodus wasn't an issue that bothered me as much. read more

Parking downtown seemed near impossible, so I parked on campus and biked in, passing traffic on the way. I arrived at a spot on a hill on Spring Street, near some railroad tracks, in about 15 minutes time. Getting through a large pool of people crowded near the corner of High Street and Spring Street was the most challenging part. The fireworks were great, especially when you've got someone to enjoy them with. My only qualm- the audio had massive delay and echos from the main stage speakers interacting with everyone's portable radios. I didn't complain, but it was pretty hard to pay attention to the fireworks with the weird ambience everywhere- nothing but noise. There's gotta be a better way to broadcast the music during the fireworks- maybe the city could setup portable speakers and simultaneously play the music through a wifi network? There's only a few times of the year where you get to see such diversity in one place. Red, White, and Boom seems to do a good job at encourage lots of different types of people, cultures, and demographics to gather- I appreciate that. I think it keeps everyone reminded about what our country has become: a nation for everyone. read more

If you lived in cbus you have to go see this event every year like it or not lol. This year is no different. So I packed up my kids and we had a great time. We went to the columbia gas kids park as well before the fire works and it was so so really full of vendors but the funnel cake was decent. God bless America read more

See all

Please let me start off by saying that I live downtown, so I didn't have to deal with traffic. I knew that my car would be in the garage the entire day, as the event started on Friday morning. The Arena District featured typical Midway food fare: corn dogs, funnel cakes, lemonade, kettle corn, etc. And the crowd was big, but not unmanageable. I will say that this area has one ATM, and the line for it was about 40 or 50 deep at one point. Good thing I already had cash! Now for the goods - the fireworks. I've lived in St. Louis, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Chicago. I must say that this was the biggest and best display of fireworks that I've seen. I know, they're just fireworks. But seriously, I thought my sister was going to soil herself during the grand finale! It was AWESOME! The best part was walking back to my apartment, and looking at the hundreds of thousands of people trying to navigate through the gridlock. Suckas!! read more

I love wnci but the soundtrack is poorly edited and the songs need to be all patriotic. I don't care what pop song was popular this year. Plus, what is with 2 star wars songs?? The fireworks used to wow me every year. Now I leave always thinking they were better the year before. The parade is pathetic. Its all semi trucks and odd drill teams. Maybe if they didn't charge so much you would get more local businesses and groups. I went to a couple small town parades this year and they were 100x better. We need something else exciting like a boat show or air show along the river between the parade and fireworks. This year they didn't even raise the flag right. I love Red White & Boom but they are really dropping the ball. read more

Wow, what a crowd. It was great and I'm glad I went but I'll stay home in the future. Great fireworks, good food, not enough beer choices - I could only find one craft beer tent. I had a great time and loved it just way too many people for me. read more

The show seems to be declining year to year. In 2009 the fireworks seemed to fail for the first couple minutes before they got going. They were nice for the 19 minutes they went off. (the show was slated for 27? Maybe it was the longest version of the national anthem I've ever heard played that counted for the rest). The grand finale was a disappointing 45 seconds or so. In terms of fireworks shows I've definitely seen better at RWB, but now on to the worst part. Traffic is the biggest hassle, not so much in as it is out. We parked in the COSI lot, and it took an hour and a half to get down the half mile on rich street to the 71 south entrance. There were no cops or traffic people directing traffic, so everyone parked on the west bank was screwed. Not as if there were a lack of cops, there were tons, roaming around in packs, doing absolutely nothing to stop people from lighting off illegals in the parking lots right by us, or apparently anything else. We'll be doing ourselves a favor and skipping this next year... read more

Red White and Boom is an awesome display of fireworks. You can make a day of it and walk around Columbus as everyone tries to find the best seats. Vendors, live music, crazies out on the street, this event basically shuts down downtown. Red White and Boom is a must, but it looses its luster after the first or second time. True, it is the Midwest's' largest display of fireworks, but after a while the traffic and crowds get old. The show moved location this year but I am going to give you a run down of the best spots to enjoy it. Wherever you go it is a good idea to bring a radio as the fireworks are set to music played by WNCI. For a fancy site, the Miranova tower is the best if you know a resident or can get invited to a party there. Otherwise, the parking garage will do. The riverfront was great, but now has become overcrowded. Avoid it. The street running through Westminster Thurber and the Tivoli apartments is starting to get crowded, but it still provides a decent view. This spot is great because you can watch the cars slow on 670 while the rubberneckers try to drive and watch the show. The Char Bar Patio is a good crane your neck and stand in a certain spot to view the fireworks. The bonus for here is that you can drink. The parking garage on Vine is always rowdy and packed. Fun for the college kid set. This year I watched it from Goodale park. The view was great and it was not too crowded. The best part was that everyone brought a radio so I could mooch off their sound. Over the years I have watched the show from various rooftops. Martini and the Long and Broad building were great, but no longer allow viewing. Red White and Boom is something everybody should enjoy at least once. If you are coming from anywhere but downtown parking is going to be a nightmare as is leaving. The show is worth it as is the party atmosphere. read more

If you like crowds, drunk people, and a lot of waiting, then this is the place for you! Personally, I enjoy the fireworks just as much on tv as downtown in the crowd. As always, the local pop station made a "poppin" soundtrack for the fireworks. In my opinion, the hassle of the crowd, etc., is not worth the 24 minute show unless you are a HUGE firework fan. read more

This is definitely an event you should partake in at least once here in Columbus, but stay away after that. The fireworks are fine, but nothing special (Dublin does them better!). The crowds are huge and finding a place to sit is damn near impossible. Parking is impossible, so if you live close like I do, walk or bike for sure. If you can avoid eating and drinking from the tents, definitely do as everything is more than overpriced. read more

There are few people in Columbus that are not familiar with the big Red, White and Boom festival. It is so popular each year there are more and more people that come so if you do not like crowds this is not the right fireworks display for you it is crowded it is hot and there are a lot of younger people that can come in large groups and sometimes they can become somewhat rowdy in particular either during the fireworks or right after when it's time for people to clear out and go home I have noticed that people will try to get attention and and just kind of draw attention to themselves in someway scuffling having some kerfuffles. I have gone for several years but this year we just live near downtown so we sat on a hill that's right outside of downtown and we were able to see pretty well which is one of the great things about redwhite you really can't see it from a lot of places surrounding downtown at last about 1/2 an hour and it's something to do in the summer you know who doesn't like fireworks and trashy fair food?!? There's really no downside except for the massive crowd and the yeah the traffic the people essentially. So yeah,definitely check it out. Be ready for being patient because there are a ton of people and make sure that if you do go it is very crowded so I have a plan to keep in contact with your group! It is very easy to get separated. Also there're aren't a lot of places to eat your food either so keep that in mind as well. read more