Beaver County Boom! Your guide with food trucks, breweries, activities & more
Shaping up to be Beaver County's biggest event of the year, here's what you need to know about Saturday's Beaver County Boom!
The fireworks
The Zambelli Internationale fireworks show will begin lighting up the sky around 9:45 p.m. from barges positioned near the meeting point of the Ohio and Beaver rivers.
Great public vantage points will be Bridgewater's and Monaca's riverfronts, which are both hosting community celebrations, as well as River Road in Beaver and throughout Rochester.
Preceding the fireworks will be skydivers and a series of flyovers by three vintage military airplanes – including one seen in the 2017 Tom Cruise movie "American Made". – from the Air Heritage Museum in Chippewa Township.
The fireworks will be simulcast to music broadcast by Beaver County Radio (99.3 and 95.7 FM). The theme will be a tribute to Vietnam War veterans.
Live music
The Veterans Memorial Bridge will be the site of Boom on The Bridge, a free, pre-fireworks concert starring chart-topping country duo Big & Rich, famed for hits "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)," "Lost in This Moment" and "Comin' to Your City." They'll play from 8:30 p.m. until shortly before the fireworks commence.
Country on the Bridge: They're comin' to your city: Big & Rich to perform on bridge for Beaver County Boom!
The full music lineup:
Main Stage
3 p.m.: Texas Tex
4:20 p.m.: Kahone Concept
5:45 p.m.: NASH.V.ILL
7 p.m.: Dave Shepherd Band
8:30 p.m.: Big and Rich
Makers Stage
3 p.m.: Jay Wiley
4 p.m.: Dr. D
5 p.m.: Lonesome Bob
Food trucks
Boom on The Bridge food trucks will include Steve & Benny’s Chicken Shack, Bruster’s Ice Cream Truck, B's Sip of Summer, The Big Sno, Annie Lee’s Southern Kitchen, Papa Dukes, Red Eye Rosie's, Curbside Cocina and Onolicious Hawaiian Grindz.
More might be added, with updates posted on boomonthebridge.com and social media.
Breweries on the bridge
Five Beaver County breweries will be selling their beers at Boom on The Bridge, too: Beaver Brewing., Petrucci Brothers, Fermata, Altered Genius and Monaca Brewing.
Children’s Zone
A Children’s Zone, next to the batting cages in Bridgewater, will give youngsters plenty to do.
The Andy Warhol Museum will offer screen-printing, with other activities including Massado Magic, Kidmental Interactive Improv, Sunshine Party bounce house and obstacle course, Zero Fossil’s Bubble Beach Bash, Dueling Bikerators, Water Cannon Blast Adventure, Imagination playground, Nicolina’s Wishes information, Mike the Balloon Guy, Artsy Doodle, City Squeakers, Heather’s Face Painting, O’Ryan the O’Mazing and Giant Lawn Games (chess, Jenga, Connect 4.)
Shuttle service
With a large crowd expected, people are encouraged to park and take the free shuttle service to the Veterans Memorial Bridge site.
Shuttles start at 2:45 p.m., with pickup points at the Bradys Run Ice Arena, dropping off at the former car dealership to the northwest of the bridge, and the field next to the New Brighton Sewage Treatment plant with drop-offs on the east side of the bridge.
Road closures
Beginning at 5 a.m. Saturday, the northbound lanes of Route 51 will be closed from Leopard Lane to the intersection of Beaver Street and Route 51. Access to Route 51 from Riverside Drive will be unavailable.
Also beginning at 5 a.m., Veterans Memorial Bridge will be closed in both directions from routes 65 and 51. The northbound turning lane and southbound turning lane of 65 onto the bridge also will be closed. These closures will remain in effect for 24 hours but could be open sooner.
For access to Bridgewater, vehicles can turn on Leopard Lane, use the Beaver River Bridge (Rochester-Bridgewater Bridge), Bridge Street from 51, Wolf Lane, and Sharon Road to Riverside Drive.
All trucks traveling north should stay on 65 or take the final exit for Route 68.
The southbound lanes of 51 will remain open.
Monaca & Bridgewater fests
Beaver County Boom! coincides with Monaca Community Day and Bridgewater Summerfest.
Monaca's festival is from 5-10 p.m. at Monaca Riverfront Park, 600 block of Atlantic Avenue. Food vendors include Ambridge Italian Villa, A&D Kona Ice, Bruster's Ice Cream, D & Johnny Pithers, JPK Ravioli, Pappy J's, Papa Dukes, Penn Town Dogs, R&A Catering, R&D Kettle Korn, Slurp-n-Burst, Trish's Truffles, Steve-N-Benny's, and Monaca United Methodist Church (sausage and haluski) and Monaca Presbyterian Church (penny candy with children's crafts.) There's a children's crafts and play area, and DJ Ziggy spinning tunes from 5:30-9:30 p.m. Shuttle service will be provided from the St. John's parking lot from 5 p.m. until after the fireworks.
Bridgewater Summerfest begins Friday night near the gazebo, featuring an 8 p.m. set by blues stalwarts Billy The Kid & The Regulators. On noon Saturday, a decorated bike parade rolls through the town, followed by the fireman's water battle, an Anything That Floats Race in the Beaver River, kayak and paddleboard races, and musical performances starting at 4 p.m. with Right Turn Clyde, Stacy and the Wildcards and Anaphylaxis.
"We want people to enjoy the festivals at each end of town," Gretchen D’Atri, marketing coordinator for Beaver County Recreation and Tourism, said. "They can do so by enjoying a leisurely stroll through Riverside Drive or by taking a shuttle."
Restaurants get involved
With so many people expected in Bridgewater, borough restaurants will roll out the red carpet.
The Standard will offer souvenir cups, a giveaway with 500 Standard/Boom T-shirts, drink specials, food specials and deejays all day and night.
Bigham Tavern at Bridgewater will have a tent outside its future Riverside Drive home, selling some of its menu items.
Kelly's Riverside Saloon will have an all-day-beach party Saturday, starting at noon with limbo and hula hoop contests, an adult Slushee stand, specialty drinks, T-shirt giveaways and the River Deck VIP bar with prime fireworks viewing.
Mario's 410 Grille has a ticketed event Saturday, with the weekend kicking off there Friday with a surefire big crowd watching the Eldorado Band. There's a $5 cover.
The Grumpy Beaver Pub offers the band Goes Like This at 8 p.m.
Frank G's Place will open early at 11 a.m. Saturday, instead of its normal 4 p.m. on that day of the week.
Scott Tady is entertainment editor at The Times and easy to reach at stady@timesonline.com.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Beaver County Boom: What to know about the fireworks and Big & Rich
