Lake Martin’s 4th of July fireworks at The Amp is the real deal.  In the Alex City Outlook, it’s called “the Southeast’s largest fireworks show.”  Russell Lands puts on the event, and it runs a full thirty minutes, from 9:00 – 9:30 pm.  There are all kinds of ways to see this amazing show, but here is my two cents on my favorite way to watch.

I like to watch them, on land, at the amphitheater.

But there are other options . . .

From the water viewing.  A lot of people like to watch from their boat in Kowaliga Bay.  The boats gathered for the show are themselves a beautiful sight – a city of lights on the water, growing as the skies darken.  Some boats stake out their spot early in the evening.  From the boat, it’s a unique, amazing experience.

Some considerations when planning the boat/firework viewing are 1) the possibility of rain or thunderstorm, and 2) the boat traffic when the fireworks are over.  As far as storms go, it’s July.  It happens.  The weather radar on your phone should help you make this decision.

And traffic-wise, it’s dark when the show is over, and there are always those boat drivers who shouldn’t be operating any kind of vehicle in their celebratory (yet patriotic) condition.  If you’re coming from the east side of the lake, make sure you can navigate all the way home in the dark.  If you’ve never done it, it’s harder than you think.  I would also add some words of caution that are best summarized in this post on the Boat US Site:

Boaters: Don’t Let July 4th Be Your Undoing

Another alternative:  If you happen to have a lake home, or have a friend with a home close to the amphitheater and the Kowaliga Bay area, that’s a great option. A lot of people can see the show from their house and don’t have to worry about the drive home.  Call them now and promise to bring them food.

My vote for the best spot to watch the fireworks at Lake Martin is on land, at The AMP.

You can go as early as 4:30 for the concert that begins at 5:30 and features Nationwide Coverage with guests Sid Phelps and The Bank Walkers (click here for the $15 tickets).  You can go just to watch the fireworks and skip the concert – park for free in the amphitheater parking and watch from there.  (See the Outlook article for more info, or click here for The AMP’s website. Please don’t call me!)  You’ll feel the booming down in your guts – there is so much exploding and blowing up in such close proximity.  And it really does last about 30 minutes.

Remember that you have to drive by car to the amphitheater – there is no water access for boaters.

No matter how you view the fireworks this year, please do it safely and responsibly, and have fun!