PEORIA, Ill. – It will be the 35th time Peoria radio stations including WMBD have come together to put on what organizers believe is the biggest 4th of July party around.
“Carle Health Red White and Boom brought home by Adam Merrick Real Estate” will be back again this year on Independence Day, along the Illinois Riverfront in Peoria and East Peoria.
“Each year, it gets bigger and better,” said Mike Wild, Vice President and General Manager, Midwest Communications Peoria. “This year, we have a great show planned. We’ve already started the process of working with the pyrotechnics provider. We know, to some degree, what the show is going to look like, and we’re working on the music soundtrack.”
Wild says the fireworks start at 9:30 p.m. on the fourth along the riverfront, and the music soundtrack will be heard live on 1470 & 100.3 WMBD and other Midwest Communications radio stations: Mix 106.9, 93.3 The Drive, KZ 102.3, 104.9 The Wolf, 102.7 Super Hits, and Freedom 95.9 & AM 1290.
In previous years, UnityPoint Health Central Illinois has been the title sponsor of the event. That became an easy fix this year.
“It’s great that Carle Health has continued their support as they’ve transitioned to Carle from UnityPoint. It’s been a longstanding partnership with them as the title sponsor,” said Wild.
The UnityPoint Central Illinois medical facilities became part of Carle Health on April 1.
Prior to the “Red White and Boom” show, there will be an afternoon and evening of activities, food, and more along both the Peoria and East Peoria sides of the Illinois River. Those activities, and the fireworks show itself, are a tremendous undertaking, Wild says — including for security.
“There’s over 20 law enforcement and public safety agencies that are involved in this, and we all get together as a group and meet in advance to go through so many different levels of planning,” said Wild. “It’s a very complex process.”
The Peoria Park District is also involved.
Speaking of security, Wild says in order to resolve some problems with fireworks debris last year, a different type of fireworks barge will be used that will keep it in place at its designated spot on the Illinois River.
