Event Information

GENERAL INFORMATION

  • What: The 23rd anniversary of the Boomsday Festival will be held on Sunday, September 5th along Neyland Drive at Volunteer Landing. The day will be filled with tons of fun – delicious food, contests, a Family Fun Zone featuring inflatables, Red Bull TNT MX Demo's and of course, the nation’s largest Labor Day weekend fireworks show!
  • Time and Place: 1 p.m. – 10 p.m. – Neyland Drive and Volunteer Landing in downtown Knoxville. Fireworks begin at approximately 9:30 p.m.
  • Admission: Free for the fireworks show. Nominal charges for food, beverages and games.
  • Activities:
    • Family Fun Zone - Featuring inflatables, games and much more. Opens at 1 p.m.
    • Krystal Crave Cruiser – Come and enjoy the Best Wings in the Game for free throughout the day.
    • Red Bull / TNT Freestyle Motocross will be putting on a spectacular FMX demo’s at 2pm, 4pm, 6pm and 8pm. Freestyle Motocross is one of the most exciting spectator sports in the world. 9 time X Games Medalist Tommy Clowers, Myles Richmond and Destin Cantrell will thrill the crowd by jumping their motorcycles in the air. These riders will be doing tricks such as “Cliffhangers,” “Hart Attacks” and “Back Flips.” These tricks have made freestyle motocross the top rated sport in the X Games.
    • Live Entertainment – The Daystar Production Stage will be filled with live music entertainment from up-and-coming singing sensation 16-year old Erin Leigh and other great performers such as Emily Eaton, Tennion Reed and the Daystar Band.
    • Little Debbie - Little Debbie snacks will have volunteers on site during the Boomsday event handing out Little Debbie Football Brownies. Be sure to look for these volunteers wearing Little Debbie 50th Anniversary t-shirts to get your free sample.
    • Journal Broadcast Group Contests:
      • Star 102.1 Tent: “Guitar Hero” contests all day and hear the latest news in fitness from the RUSH Fitness Centers.
      • HOT 104.5 Tent: Play Wii with the Air Force and check out “Show Text.”
      • Q 93 Tent: Join ATC Roofs for the Frozen T-Shirt Contest played at the top of every hour from 2pm – 7pm.

TIPS AND MORE

  • Bring: Sunscreen, hats, lawn chairs, blankets, portable radios (if desired)
  • Don’t Bring:
  • Motorized vehicles or scooters (KPD personnel to determine if necessary for persons with disabilities)
  • No backpacks – all other bags are subject to random searches
  • No picnic supplies, coolers or refillable containers
  • No cans or bottles
  • No outside food/beverage
  • No pets
  • No skateboards, bicycles, skates, skate shoes
  • No tents, canopies or umbrellas
  • No firearms, laser pointing devices or weapons of any kind
  • No alcoholic beverages
  • No soliciting
  • First Aid: Stations will be located on Volunteer Landing on the east side of the east tower, underneath the Henley Street Bridge on the north side of Neyland and on the north side of Neyland Drive directly across from the University of Tennessee boathouse.
  • Persons with Disabilities: American Disability Association viewing areas will be located on the L-3 Open Air Deck of the City/County Building. ADA accessible restrooms will be available at the special needs location.

ROAD CLOSINGS

  • The Henley Street Bridge will close at 12 a.m. Sunday, Sept 5. The bridge reopens at 6 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 6.
  • The westbound lanes of Neyland Drive from Walnut to Lake Loudon Boulevard will close at 11 p.m. on Saturday, Sept 4 and will remain closed until 6 a.m. Monday, Sept. 6.
  • The eastbound lanes of Neyland Drive from Walnut to Lake Loudon Boulevard will close at 11 p.m. on Saturday, Sept 4 and will remain closed until 6 a.m. Monday, Sept. 6.
  • James White Parkway at Cumberland will close at 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 5 and will remain closed until 6 a.m. Monday, Sept. 6.
  • Access to Neyland Drive from Central Street will shut down at 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept 5 and will remain closed until 6 a.m. Monday, Sept. 6.
  • Access to Neyland Drive from Hall of Fame Drive will shut down at 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 5 and will remain closed until 6 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 6.
  • The Gay Street Bridge will close at 9 p.m. for pedestrian traffic and at 9:15 p.m. to vehicle traffic, which is 15 minutes before the fireworks show is expected to begin.

BOATING

  • No wake zone will be enforced from the orange railroad trestle to the South Knoxville Bridge starting 3 hours prior to the football game on Saturday, September 4 until midnight on Sunday, September 5.
  • No general public shore access will be available via the Volunteer Landing steps.
  • City/UT docks will only be available for temporary mooring after 12 p.m. on Sunday. Temporary parking will be available until 8 p.m., but one person must remain on the boat.
  • Docking at Calhoun’s docks is monitored by TWRA for access to the river channel. However, these docks are privately owned and the owner has final determination of who can moor at these docks.
  • Boats should be in place at least by 9 p.m. as traffic on the channel between the railroad bridge and Gay Street Bridge will be very limited until after the fireworks end. The main channel of the river will be completely closed from 9 p.m. until after the fireworks.
  • Mooring at the City/UT docks will be open after the fireworks with officers from TWRA directing the largest vessels into place first.
  • Boaters may be ticketed if navigational lights aren’t working, children under 13 aren’t wearing a life-jacket, fire extinguishers aren’t in working order or there aren’t enough personal flotation devices for every person on board plus one throwable device.

PARKING

  • The City County Building garage will open at 9 a.m. Sunday. The L-3 open air deck will be reserved for an ADA Accessible Viewing Area that will include parking and viewing (with appropriate vehicle permit).
  • The pedestrian bridge from the City County Building to Volunteer Landing will close at 8 p.m. Sunday.
  • Special event parking will be available at the Main Street Garage, Dwight Kessel Garage, Locust Street Garage and City County Garage for $5. Complimentary parking will be available at the Market Square Garage & State Street Garage.
  • All UT Parking lots and garages will be open for general public parking for a fee of $10. Look for special event signs.
  • Due to the Neyland Drive road closure, no parking areas with Neyland Drive access only will be open for parking.

Link to Downtown Parking Map (PDF)
Link to Event Map (PDF)
UT Parking Map (Link)

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