Mother Nature nearly stole part of the thunder at one of Columbus’ largest celebrations.
Columbus Regional Health Presents QMIX Musical Fireworks 29: Red, White and Boom! at Columbus Municipal Airport Tuesday unfolded before thousands of people, though considerably fewer than the past few years. Many lined a segment of Central Avenue and the surrounding area in Columbus.
Thunderstorms, with a bit of their own boom, began moving into the area about an hour before the event’s various pre-fireworks festivities began. Yet, the biggest cacophony eventually was provided by Iowa-based J&M Displays Inc. and lead fireworks presenter David Maschino of Columbus.
With about 1,000 pounds of shells, Maschino clearly knew how to bring in the noise choreographed alongside cranked-up pop-rock tunes from artists such as Pink, James Brown, and Zedd, Maren Morris, and Grey broadcast on local QMIX 107.3 FM radio. And onlookers such as Scipio resident Brian Cline were happy to lend an ear to the explosive fanfare.
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“The bigger the boom, the better,” said Cline, attending his first QMIX show after seeing Cincinnati’s huge WEBN Fireworks at Riverfest for several years.
The annual display of patriotic pyrotechnics has become a local staple of the summertime holiday. Food vendors, a live band and even live professional wrestling were offered in front of Ivy Tech Community College and nearby Harrison College.
Despite light rain early in the evening, Emerge Wrestling’s “Fireworks and Fisticuffs” attracted an early crowd of about 500 people, including a few intense fans who interacted with a couple of the competitors. A ring set up in Harrison College’s parking lot offered its share of booms each time a clobbered wrestler hit the mat.
“I think this is pretty cool,” said Greensburg resident Johnny Dickey, watching a match with daughter Hannah Dickey, who said she was already a big fan.
April Lancaster helped organize the college’s portion of the shared QMIX festivities. Some of that included collecting donations to help struggling Harrison students.
“I think it’s amazing seeing people have so much fun,” Lancaster said amid the wrestling matches. “This is entertainment with a cause.”
Columbus resident Patrick Hamilton said the July 4th event is far more important, especially this year, than a bit of fire in the sky.
He referred to political, racial and other divisions that have surfaced in the past months.
“This is the one time of year when we all can enjoy as a nation our unity and our freedom,” Hamilton said. “We should be able to put aside our differences and burdens and be happy as one nation, one family.”
For many, that simple, small-town togetherness seemed evident. At Central Avenue and Rocky Ford Road, nearly a mile from the main events, children gleefully waved sparklers until they seemingly wrote a message of fiery joy into the shadows. A man walking near Salin Bank hawked glow-sticks to those gathered in the parking lot at Willow Crossing Health and Rehabilitation Center.
And when the national anthem was broadcast over the radio before the rockets red glare, even those relaxing in the bed of pickup trucks got up, removed ball caps, and stood. Two elementary school-aged youngsters who had been tossing a football stopped and put their hands over their hearts.
The sky-high fireworks display, normally visible in the distance from as far away as Taylorsville, featured a multi-colored mix and a frequently a misty, weeping-willow-style spray to accompany the occasional bass-like volume.
Before it all finished, perhaps in a playful nod to Mother Nature’s crashing the party, came the oh-so-appropriate musical closer, Imagine Dragon’s “Thunder.”
New Columbus resident Cody Wells, who brought along his sons, ages 2, 3, and 6, hardly minded the early rain at all while he waited to look toward the clouds for a different reason.
“My boys always like getting wet, anyway,” Wells said with a laugh.
And before Wells even knew the title of the whole show, the dad highlighted his favorite part of this time of year.
“I just really like the big booms,” he said.
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”By the numbers” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
21
Minutes of the musical fireworks presentation
24
QMIX vendors at the event
29
Years for the event
1,000
Pounds of shells used in the show
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