Here’s the Best Spot in Tri-Cities to View the River of Fire

Well, thanks to the Carousel of Dreams and the City of Kennewick, the River of Fire Fireworks Display is a go for launch on July 4th at 10 p.m. The show took a year off in 2020 (like every other event) due to COVID-19 restrictions.

This is great news for those of us who want to celebrate Independence Day with a bang sitting in a lawn chair on the side of the river in Columbia Park or from Wade Park on the Pasco side.

This will be the second year that the display will be launched from the shoreline in front of the Columbia Park Golf course driving range. For many years the display was launched from a barge in the center of the river, but that barge was condemned and deemed not safe, so they moved it to the shoreline in 2019. There will be no other activities during the day, only the fireworks display at 10 p.m.
There is always plenty of parking on the Kennewick side in Columbia Park, and the view is typically spectacular if you can get close enough. I personally think the best viewing area will be from the Pasco side in Wade Park. Wade Park stretches from Road 39 to the boat launch on Road 54. The drawback from the Pasco side is parking - with the exception of a few spots at the Road 39 entrance and at the boat launch, you're left to find street parking in the Riverhaven neighborhood, which can be tricky…and when the event is over, it becomes complete mayhem trying to exit the area.

Whichever side you choose to view from, my recommendation is to pack up the lawn chairs, a blanket, some snacks, something to drink, and arrive early - early meaning 7:00 p.m. - and claim a spot. Then, plan on sitting around for a half-hour or so after the event is over before trying to exit. Way less stressful and since Monday (July 5th) is a holiday for most of us, staying up late is really no big deal. Looks like the weather will be sunny and clear on the 4th.

Please be sure to thank the Carousel of Dreams and the many sponsors who made this year's event possible.