Knoxville Boomsday 2014 to feature more explosive entertainment

Fireworks entertainment at Boomsday lights up the Knoxville sky. Image courtesy of Visit Knoxville.

KNOXVILLE — Visit Knoxville will light up the sky over the Tennessee River, Saturday, August 30 at Boomsday 2014. Entertainment begins at 3:00 p.m. (gates open at 2:30 p.m) on Neyland Drive and Volunteer Landing in downtown Knoxville. Fireworks begin at approximately at 9:00 p.m. and will be synchronized to a custom soundtrack broadcast via Star 102.1 radio. The fireworks will also be broadcast by WBIR-TV.

The Black Lillies will take center stage at Boomsday 2014. Image courtesy of Visit Knoxville.

In addition to more than 5-tons of dynamite, Visit Knoxville has packed an explosive amount of entertainment into this year’s festival. Knoxville-based band, The Black Lillies, will take center stage at Boomsday 2014. The band was recently named among Rolling Stone Magazine’s “10 New Artists You Need to Know: Summer 2014.” Boomsday’s Main Stage will also welcome Rodney Atkins. The East Tennessee native has an impressive track record with six number one hits from his first three albums, including his most recent smash, "Take A Back Road." A second stage will feature additional bands including Native Run, a band that has opened for John Hiatt and Lady Antebellum.

On the water, Boomsday guests will witness the water stunts of Ben Merrell from Fly Life Xtreme Productions. Many people will recognize Ben from his performances on the popular TV show America’s Got Talent.

Since 1988, the Boomsday Festival has been a successful one-day event that brings hundreds of thousands of people to Knoxville for a day of food, fun, live music, and the biggest boom in the nation.

“Boomsday is one of the Southeast’s premier events and the largest Labor Day Weekend Fireworks Show in the nation. We are beyond thrilled to continue to present it to hometown folks and visitors from all over the country,” states Visit Knoxville president Kim Bumpas. “This year’s event will feature more fireworks than we’ve presented in years and entertainment that is well worth the price of admission.”

Boomsday has traditionally taken place on the Sunday prior to Labor Day. This year’s festival has been moved to Saturday to accommodate the University of Tennessee season opener scheduled for Sunday, August 31.

“This will be a unique and exciting weekend for our city and our state,” says Tennessee Head Coach Butch Jones.

	Ben Merrell from Fly Life Xtreme Productions will perform water stunts at this year's Boomsday. Image by Visit Knoxville.

Fireworks can be viewed from a number of locations throughout downtown Knoxville, but tickets are required for Boomsday viewing on Neyland Drive.

Additional activities and entertainment will take place throughout the day. Families can take advantage of a special Knox Kids zone set up free of charge outside the ticketed area. Knox Kids will feature fun and educational activities for kids of all ages and ticketed access, if desired, to the Neyland Drive viewing area.

As a special acknowledgement to the service and sacrifice of the nation’s service men and women, Boomsday 2014 will also feature a special area of honor for those who have served and are currently serving our country, and all military personnel will be admitted free to Boomsday 2014 with Military I.D. See website for details.

Admission to the secured viewing area along Neyland is $20 per person. Children under 12 admitted free. Concert performances are included in price of admission. Tickets go on sale June 16 at www.BoomsdayKnoxville.com. Food and beverage at the event will be priced affordably.

For updated information on Boomsday 2014, including tips on what and what not to bring, maps, parking information, tickets and more, visit www.BoomsdayKnoxville.com. Vendor and sponsorship opportunities are also available for a limited time.

Visit Knoxville (Knoxville Convention and Visitors Bureau) is the official Convention and Visitors Bureau for the City of Knoxville and Knox County. Visit Knoxville is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, private company that works together with the community, business leaders and local and state government to further develop Knoxville as a premier leisure, meetings and travel destination.

Published June 13, 2014