After weeks of high water and a fast current, the West Fork of the Trinity River re-opened to business on Tuesday in the heart of Fort Worth.
On Saturday, as many as 70,000 people will gather to tube, enjoy music and watch fireworks along the river's banks for the 2015 Fort Worth's Fourth celebration.
Throughout the Panther Island Pavilion area there are sounds and signs of the preparations, with fences and tents going up.
For nearly two months though the area was nearly devoid of activity, with Backwoods Paddlesports open for just nine days since the start of May. That makes Tuesday's re-opening during one of the busiest weeks of the summer ideal.
"It's perfect timing," said Shawn Cox, manager at Backwoods Paddlesports. "I'm definitely happy to be back open, putting people in the water. And I know the community is also excited. I know we get people everyday down here asking are we open."
While setup for Saturday's event, as well as Thursday's first Rockin' the River that will actually take place on the river, is going smoothly, Fort Worth police officials hope to keep traffic running smoothly for the Fourth and other downtown area events.
"The Fort Worth Police Department is going to be taking over the streets of downtown, basically from about 2 p.m. to midnight, to try and mitigate some of the traffic issues we've had in the past," said Cpl. Tracey Knight, a police department spokesperson.
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That means no one can park on Henderson Street and Jacksboro Highway. Lane closures are in place to ensure emergency vehicle access on Henderson, and when the show is over officers will be directing traffic through routes you may not necessarily want to take.
"Our main goal is to get people home and safe as quickly as possible," Knight said.
Safety is another issue. As NBC News reported Monday that the FBI and U.S. Department of Homeland Security warned law enforcement agencies across the country to be vigilant over the holiday weekend. While there are no specific threats of a terror attack, there is concern an ISIS-inspired attack could be conducted.
Fort Worth Police says it will continue its large event security plan, which includes multiple layers of police officers, with some on-duty, some off-duty, some visible and some not.
"We're going to have plain-clothes officers, we're going to have additional cameras, we'll have K-9 units out there," Knight said.
As the days lead up until the big Saturday event, the best advice from police and organizers is to plan ahead and know where you're going to park and how you're going to get there. And of course, have fun.
"Be outside, get on the water, party, have a good time," Cox said.
On Sunday, Backwoods' first Sunday Funday event will run from noon until 6 p.m.
The Fort Worth's Fourth event starts at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Bags will be checked at the gates as part of security and no coolers will be allowed inside.
The fireworks show is set to start at 10 p.m.
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