25 years of Boom!: Annual Labor Day celebration a blast again, Rose Babb and her party of Boomsday fanatics beat about 400,000 people to the punch on Sunday. Babb and her Crossville, Tenn., contingent of 30 people — ranging in age from 11 to 56 — loaded into five vehicles to make the trip to Knoxville for the 25th anniversary of Boomsday, presented by Visit Knoxville.
By 6 a.m. Sunday, they had staked out a prime viewing spot on Volunteer Landing along Knoxville's downtown waterfront in anticipation of the 9:30 p.m. second-to-none fireworks show spectacular that's put on annually by Pyro Shows of LaFollette.
The 20-minute fireworks show featured 20,000 shells that were launched from the railroad bridge just west of the Henley Bridge.
Over the last quarter of a century the daylong festival on the banks of Fort Loudoun Lake has evolved into Knoxville's signature event.
And Babb wouldn't miss it for the world.
"I've been to Disney World, and I think this is even better," said Babb, who has been to about 10 Boomsdays.
Marcella Lazareanu said the threat of showers did nothing to deter the Crossville group from making the trek to Knoxville.
"We wait for this all year," Lazareanu said.
"Rain or shine, we enjoy ourselves. We were here in the rain last year."
Like many veteran Boomsday attendees, Babb, Lazareanu and the other members of the Crossville group know the routine by now.
While the fireworks show is the most-anticipated part of Boomsday for most, there's no shortage of activities leading up to the big-bang finale.
The festival started early in the afternoon with vendors hawking food up and down Neyland Drive.
One of the food vendors was Ted Cothran, the owner of Ted's Street Food.
"We hope to sell out here," said Cothran, who said he is a food vendor at 24 events during the year in the Southeast.
"We have over 400 corn dogs, 400 orders of fries, 100 pounds of steak and 85 pounds of sausage. We've got enough lemon juice to do 75 gallons of lemonade, and we've got 40 gallons of tea."
Cothran said he hoped to sell 250 to 300 of his signature Philly cheesesteaks.
But food aside, Cothran said he simply enjoys the Southern hospitality at the events he attends.
"I see a different town every week and I love people," he said
There also was live music, a family fun zone with games and inflatables for children.
As usual, there also was a twist to Boomsday 2012.
After a two-year refurbishing process, lights to the historic JFG Coffee sign, perched on a South Knoxville hill, were turned on Sunday night.
"This is exciting," said John Weller of Crossville. "Everything (at Boomsday) just gets better and better."
By 6 a.m. Sunday, they had staked out a prime viewing spot on Volunteer Landing along Knoxville's downtown waterfront in anticipation of the 9:30 p.m. second-to-none fireworks show spectacular that's put on annually by Pyro Shows of LaFollette.
The 20-minute fireworks show featured 20,000 shells that were launched from the railroad bridge just west of the Henley Bridge.
Over the last quarter of a century the daylong festival on the banks of Fort Loudoun Lake has evolved into Knoxville's signature event.
And Babb wouldn't miss it for the world.
"I've been to Disney World, and I think this is even better," said Babb, who has been to about 10 Boomsdays.
Marcella Lazareanu said the threat of showers did nothing to deter the Crossville group from making the trek to Knoxville.
"We wait for this all year," Lazareanu said.
"Rain or shine, we enjoy ourselves. We were here in the rain last year."
Like many veteran Boomsday attendees, Babb, Lazareanu and the other members of the Crossville group know the routine by now.
While the fireworks show is the most-anticipated part of Boomsday for most, there's no shortage of activities leading up to the big-bang finale.
The festival started early in the afternoon with vendors hawking food up and down Neyland Drive.
One of the food vendors was Ted Cothran, the owner of Ted's Street Food.
"We hope to sell out here," said Cothran, who said he is a food vendor at 24 events during the year in the Southeast.
"We have over 400 corn dogs, 400 orders of fries, 100 pounds of steak and 85 pounds of sausage. We've got enough lemon juice to do 75 gallons of lemonade, and we've got 40 gallons of tea."
Cothran said he hoped to sell 250 to 300 of his signature Philly cheesesteaks.
But food aside, Cothran said he simply enjoys the Southern hospitality at the events he attends.
"I see a different town every week and I love people," he said
There also was live music, a family fun zone with games and inflatables for children.
As usual, there also was a twist to Boomsday 2012.
After a two-year refurbishing process, lights to the historic JFG Coffee sign, perched on a South Knoxville hill, were turned on Sunday night.
"This is exciting," said John Weller of Crossville. "Everything (at Boomsday) just gets better and better."
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