The “Big Bay Boom” – San Diego’s annual waterfront 4th of July fireworks celebration – is expected to draw between 30,000 and 50,000 spectators on Thursday.
To accommodate the crowds, the Port of San Diego has set up free parking and shuttle services to Harbor Island and Shelter Island -- a couple of prime locations to view the fireworks show.
The Port of San Diego says the parking lots will open to the public at 5:30 p.m., and shuttles will begin departing from designated parking areas at 6 p.m. The shuttles will then run continuously until passengers have been taken to the viewing locations.
For those who want to watch the show from Shelter Island, parking and shuttle pick-up will be established at the corner of Carleton Street and Rosecrans Street in Point Loma (see first map below). People can park their cars on the street and then hop on the shuttle, which will drop passengers off in front of the gazebo on Shelter Island.
For those who want to watch the fireworks from Harbor Island, parking is available at the Port of San Diego Administration building located at 3165 Pacific Highway, or the Port’s employee lot across the street, at the corner of Pacific Highway and Sassafras Street (see second map below).
A shuttle service will pick-up passengers near the entrance to the lot and drop them off at Harbor Island Park.
After the show, people on Shelter Island can meet at the gazebo to take the shuttle back, while Harbor Island passengers can grab a return shuttle at the pick-up point across Harbor Island Drive, adjacent to the San Diego Harbor Police Headquarters.
Organizers say the final shuttle will depart from the islands back to the parking areas at 11 p.m.
The 2013 Big Bay Boom fireworks show begins at 9 p.m., and will run approximately 18.5 minutes – if all goes according to plan.
Local
Last year the so-called “Big Bay Bust” left spectators with much to be desired after a computer glitch caused the fireworks to explode five minutes before the show was supposed to start.
Tens of thousands of fireworks were set off at the same time, and the colorful explosions only lasted a few seconds, leaving spectators extremely disappointed.
This year, event organizers promise that won’t be the case.
Other viewing areas to consider catching the show around San Diego’s Big Bay include Embarcadero, Seaport Village, Coronado Ferry Landing, Cesar Chavez Park and Imperial Beach Pier.
For more details on the show, click here.
(Shuttle service going to Shelter Island):
(Shuttle service going to Harbor Island:)
