Port Of San Diego To Light Up The Sky With 15th Annual Big Bay Boom And Imperial Beach Pier Firework Shows This July 4

June 26, 2015

The skies above San Diego will light up again this year with the annual Port of San Diego Big Bay Boom July 4 Fireworks Show on Saturday, July 4. In addition, the Port is sponsoring fireworks in South County being launched off the iconic Imperial Beach Pier. This year's Big Bay Boom will be the 15th annual show that provides spectacular fireworks to over 500,000 viewers around San Diego Bay starting at 9pm on Independence Day, with fireworks launched simultaneously from numerous barges around the bay, providing a spectacular waterfront view.

"I want to personally welcome everyone coming from near and far to the Port of SanDiego to enjoy the best and most iconic waterfront fireworks shows in Southern California," said Port Chairman Dan Malcolm. "This is the perfect way to celebrate Independence Day - whether you're watching from San Diego, Coronado, Imperial Beach or on television."

Sandy Purdon, Executive Producer/Founder of the Big Bay Boom, promises another fantastic show. "The Port of San Diego Big Bay Boom has become the defining San Diego event on Independence Day and it gets better every year. Thanks to the folks at Fox 5 and KTLA, we are able to reach a huge audience with views of the waterfront of SanDiego Bay. We are proud that the show benefits military families and wounded warriors through our support of the Armed Services YMCA."

There are numerous places to view the Port of San Diego Big Bay Boom along the waterfront and by visiting Bigbayboom.com, one can find transportation options, official hotels, restaurants, dinner cruises, and related events. And through broadcast partnerships, over 25 million people in Southern California and Baja California, Mexico, will be able to view the show live on television or listen to radio commentary. Fox 5 San Diego and KTLA Los Angeles will start their live programming at 8:30pm and run until 9:30pm. The show will also have choreographed music on MAX 105.7 FM and MIGHTY 1090 AM.

The City of Imperial Beach along with the Imperial Beach Chamber of Commerce is organizing the annual Imperial Beach fireworks show, sponsored by the Port of San Diego. The show will begin at 9pm with choreographed music on KYXY 96.5 FM. There will also be a live DJ playing music until 10pm at Imperial Beach Pier Plaza. The best place to view the show is along the beach, from Palm Avenue to Imperial Beach Boulevard.

"Thanks to the support of the Port of San Diego, Imperial Beach is going to be a fantastic surfside location to celebrate Independence Day," said Mayor Serge Dedina. "Watching the fireworks as they light up the waves crashing into our beautiful beach is always a sight to behold."

In considering location choices for watching the fireworks, be aware that parking along San Diego Bay and in Imperial Beach fills up quickly, and heavy traffic in both areas is expected to cause delays. Get there early, and plan ahead where to park. Locals and visitors are invited to use the Big Bay Shuttle, which offers an all-day pass for just $3, to get from Downtown San Diego to attractions along the Embarcadero and Harbor Island. The Big Bay Shuttle will be operating until 10pm. To accommodate the large crowds in San Diego, the event organizers will offer free shuttle service to Harbor Island and Shelter Island. In addition, MTS will be offering expanded trolley and bus service for the holiday. Plenty of free parking is also available at Qualcomm Stadium with an MTS Trolley Ticket.

In Imperial Beach, parking will be available in Mar Vista High School's parking lots at 505 Elm Ave., as well as its back parking lot facing Imperial Beach Boulevard, for a small fee. Proceeds will go to the Mar Vista High School Boys & Girls Water Polo teams. From Imperial Beach Boulevard, you can catch an MTS bus to the beach to view the fireworks.

Because of the large volume of visitors to San Diego's Harbor Island and Shelter Island, the access roads will be closed to entering vehicles at some point during the day. Pedestrian and shuttle access will remain available. Harbor Police make the decision to close incoming vehicle access based on public safety considerations once they have determined that parking lots are full. Exceptions will be made for hotel guests and others with a legitimate business need.

Boaters and surfers are reminded to stay at least 300 yards away from all barges and Imperial Beach Pier. In addition, pedestrians and cyclists are reminded to stay out of estuary and habitat areas as there is no viewing access. The Port offers an online boating reservations system for its anchorages and guest docks.

For more information on this year's Big Bay Boom and Imperial Beach Pier firework shows, visit portofsandiego.org.