The City of Charleston will launch this year’s long Independence Day weekend on Wednesday evening with the West Virginia Symphony and the largest fireworks show in the region. The concert is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. on the Schoenbaum Stage of Haddad Riverfront Park with Fireworks by Pyrotechnico launched at approximately 9:45 from two locations across the river along MacCorkle Avenue.
With the City’s big celebration Wednesday evening and fireworks at Appalachian Power Park in conjunction with West Virginia Power games both Thursday and Friday, Charleston will be one of the few cities in the country with three fireworks displays on three straight nights in conjunction with the Independence Day weekend. Pyrotechnico will be producing all three shows.
The primary fireworks launch site Wednesday will be from MacCorkle Avenue east of the South Side Bridge, just as it has been for the City’s Independence Day celebrations for the past decade. Yet a second launch site, right across the Kanawha River from Haddad Park, means that the best vantage point for the full fireworks effect will be from the Park and Kanawha Boulevard downtown.
Starting at about 6 p.m. Wednesday, several vendors will be set up along Kanawha Boulevard next to Haddad Riverfront Park to provide food and beverages for people attending the City’s official celebration that evening.