The City of Tampa is celebrating Independence Day with a bang this year with the return of Boom by the Bay.
Over 200,000 people attended the 2019 inaugural event which featured Florida's largest Independence Day fireworks display.
Last year, the festival was canceled due to COVID-19 but city officials said Tuesday it will return this year.
The festivities will kick off on Sunday, July 4, 2021 with a July 4th Boat Parade and Blessing of the Fleet presented by Friends of the Tampa Riverwalk starting at 5 p.m. More information is available here.
Following the boat parade, Boom by the Bay programming will begin at 7 p.m. with family-friendly activities spanning six waterfront locations, including two new locations added this year. Each site will feature activities for all ages, food vendors, entertainment, and fireworks, which will be choreographed together and launched simultaneously at dusk (approximately 9:15 p.m.). The six locations this year include:
- Julian B Lane Riverfront Park, presented by the Hard Rock
- Armature Works
- Tampa Convention Center
- Sparkman Wharf
- Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, presented by Tampa Downtown Partnership - NEW
- Bayshore Boulevard, presented by Coca-Cola Beverages Florida - NEW
The event is free and open to the public. Event-goers are reminded to follow CDC guidelines for COVID-19 safety and take advantage of sanitation stations at each location. For information on transportation, FAQs, and more, visit
boombythebay.com
For Boom by the Bay updates, the public is encouraged to text BOOM to 888-777 to receive text message alerts directly to a cell phone. More information will also be shared on the City of Tampa's Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram social
media accounts.