4th of July Big Bay Fireworks Show Expected to Draw Huge Crowds to the Waterfront [UPDATE]

Tuesday, 24 June 2008

Port of San Diego providing free parking/shuttle service

The Annual Big Bay July 4th Fireworks Show is back for its eighth year, promising another spectacular display over San Diego Bay. Fireworks will be discharged simultaneously from four barges placed strategically around the bay off Shelter Island, Harbor Island, the Embarcadero area and Seaport Village. Music broadcasted from FM radio station KyXy 96.5 will accompany the show.

The show kicks off at 9 p.m. on Friday, July 4 and can be viewed from almost anywhere around the northern portion of San Diego Bay, as well as from Embarcadero Marina Parks north and south and Coronado Tidelands Park in Coronado.

More than 500,000 people are expected to come to the waterfront to watch the show, with the most popular viewing areas being Shelter Island and Harbor Island. The Port of San Diego is working with Old Town Trolley to provide free parking and shuttle service to these two areas. Shuttles will begin departing from designated parking lots at 5:30 p.m. and will be taking viewers back to their cars right after the fireworks show, which is anticipated to last about 20 minutes. The final shuttle run will be at 11 p.m. Here are the shuttle pick up and drop off locations:

For Shelter Island viewing: the shuttle will pick passengers up at the corner of Carleton Street and Rosecrans Street in Point Loma, adjacent to West Marine. Only street parking is available at this location. The shuttle will drop off passengers in front of the gazebo on Shelter Island. The pick up location after the show will also be at the gazebo.

For Harbor Island viewing: free parking is available at the Port of San Diego Administration Building, 3165 Pacific Highway and at the Port employee lot directly across the street on the southwest corner of Pacific Highway and Sassafras Street. Passengers will be dropped off at Harbor Island Park. The pick up location after the show will be at the parking lot just east of the Sheraton Hotel, across Harbor Island Drive.

The Big Bay Fireworks Show was established in 2001 to benefit the San Diego Armed Services YMCA and various programs for San Diego area military families. The Port of San Diego contributes a combined total of $120,000 in cash and Port Services for the event.

• Parking and Shuttle Information (general map)

[Update]

• Big Bay Fireworks Show Barge Chart
• Event information via thebigbay.com
• Add to your calendar (iCal, Outlook, Thunderbird, Google Calendar)

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