City: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN

Category: Annual Events & Festivals

Description: Boomsday, which takes place the Sunday night of Labor Day weekend, is the largest fireworks display in the Southeast—it was even filmed for a National Geographic special. All kinds of carnival-style events and live entertainment are offered throughout the day, but the best part is the fabulous fireworks display. In about 20 minutes, four tons of pyrotechnics explode over the Tennessee River in downtown Knoxville in a show that takes almost 48 hours to set up. This is not a truckload of fireworks; it’s a trainload. For the statistically inclined, more than 60 miles of wire are used to connect the computers that time more than 12,000 explosions. Local radio station 104.5 FM provides musical accompaniment. If you’re staying anywhere in Sevier County, plan to be on Chapman Highway (U.S. Highway 441N) no later than 7:30 p.m. Follow Chapman into Knoxville until you are required to turn away from the Henley Street Bridge, where the fireworks are set up. Turn in either direction, go anywhere from a few blocks to a mile to get a good view of the bridge, and find a place to park. Get as close to the river as you can (you won’t be alone) in time for the explosive fun to begin at 9:30 p.m..