Here's What Red, White, And Boom Looked Like When It First Started Four Decades Ago

There’s nothing quite like Red, White & BOOM! — and we mean that in every possible way. Ask any Columbus local, and they’ll probably tell you the same thing: It’s hot. It’s crowded. It’s loud. And we absolutely love it.

Since 1981, BOOM! has been one of the city’s most chaotic and beloved traditions. It’s the kind of event you swear you’re too old or too tired to attend… and then somehow find yourself at anyway, stuck in traffic on Front Street with a folding chair and a cooler full of Gatorade.

Back in the early days, it looked a little different.

In 1981, the first BOOM! felt more like a small-town Fourth of July celebration. Marching bands. Military honor guards. Families staking out spots along the Scioto.

First Red, White, and Boom parade of Columbus, Ohio in 1981. Variety of military men walking in parade holding sign that says, “Salute to Freedom’. Photo by David E. Lucas

But the chaos we all know and love came quickly. By the mid-80s, BOOM! had evolved into a full-on citywide event. You’ve got color photos of crowds packed into Bicentennial Park, kids in striped tube socks waving sparklers, and the glow of fireworks reflecting off the Scioto River. It was a little rowdy, a little sticky, and totally unforgettable.

fireworks over scioto river — Fireworks over the Scioto River at Red, White, and Boom 1985.

In 1987, Jack Hanna rode a horse-drawn carriage down the parade route, waving like the Fourth of July king of Columbus. It was peak 80s: wholesome, weird, and just the right amount of surreal.

Grand Marshal Jack Hanna rides in a carriage in the 1987 Red, White & Boom parade. Photo by David E. Lucas

Over the years, the city changed — and so did BOOM!

The skyline got taller. The crowds got bigger. The food trucks got better (no offense to whoever was selling microwave burritos in ’92). What hasn’t changed is the spirit: the parade still kicks off from Main and 2nd, the music still blasts from every corner, and the fireworks still launch from the riverfront like clockwork at 10 p.m.

fireworks columbus 1990s — The fireworks over Columbus during Red, White, and Boom in the 1990s.

And yes, it’s still free. That part is important. BOOM! runs thanks to a mix of non-profit organizing and big-name sponsors like Encova Insurance, NBC4, G&J Pepsi, and WNCI 97.9.

red white and boom 1992 — The parade during Red, White, and Boom 1992.

If you’ve ever been, you know the drill: getting downtown before 3 PM so you can find parking within a three-mile radius, dodging people with oversized strollers, waiting in line for lemonade that costs more than you spent on gas to get there, and then — finally — craning your neck at the sky as the first BOOM! echoes off the glass of the LeVeque Tower.

And every time, it’s worth it.

You’ll sweat. You’ll complain. You’ll vow not to come next year.
And then next July? You’ll be right back downtown, cooler in hand, ready to do it all over again. For info about this year’s festivities, head over to redwhiteandboom.org.