Altamonte Springs braces for 200,000 at Red Hot & Boom

Altamonte Springs is preparing to move traffic, people and emergency crews around more than 200,000 spectators at Red Hot & Boom, where the fireworks alone will launch at a pace of about 10 per second for 25 straight minutes.

The 29th annual event will run 5 to 10 p.m. Friday, July 3, at Cranes Roost Park, with fireworks scheduled for 9:30 p.m. weather permitting. The event is Central Florida’s biggest Independence Day celebration, and this year’s lineup includes Chris Lane, Wish Radio and Blue Stone Circle.

Parking will be available at Altamonte Mall and in surrounding areas, but many attendees will have to park farther from the park and walk in as spaces fill early. Disabled parking will be available near Festival Drive and Central Parkway and in a designated area in the Altamonte Mall lot north of the AMC theaters, while disabled seating in the park will be first-come, first-served at the top of the Eddie Rose Amphitheater.

Road closures will begin before sunset. CenterPointe Circle and Penland Lane will close at 7 a.m. July 3. Festival Drive at State Road 436 and Cranes Roost Boulevard at State Road 436 will close at 6:30 p.m. Those affected roads are scheduled to reopen about 2 a.m. July 4, after the fireworks and the late-night exodus.

Traffic will spread across nearby streets and onto State Road 436 and I-4 as vehicles leave the Uptown Altamonte area. After the fireworks, many streets will switch to one-way traffic to speed exits, and some movements on I-4 and State Road 436 will be restricted later in the evening to keep cars moving.

Seminole County Fire Department Lt. Dave Williams is urging people to hydrate early, dress for the heat and prepare for afternoon thunderstorms. Hundreds of officers will be on site, along with medical tents and number markers on light poles so first responders can locate people quickly in an emergency.