When the skies over Addison get dark Saturday, the fireworks will light up the town during the city's annual Kaboom Town.
This year is the 25th anniversary of the top-ranked fireworks show.
The central place to watch the show is Addison Circle Park. The city is just 4.4 square miles, and more than 400,000 people are expected to visit from out of town.
"I don't think I've ever seen one that's any better," said Rick Kohn of Greenville.
National publications repeatedly rank Kaboom Town among the top 10 Independence Day fireworks shows in the country.
"What's great about this event is, you can watch from anywhere and have any kind of experience you want," said Barbara Kovacevich, the city's special events administrator.
Kohn plans his 50-member family reunion every year around Kaboom Town. They checked into the Marriott Quorum for a three-day weekend.
"I've got an aunt and uncle that'll be here, and they're not able to get out and walk down there so we're able to let them sit in the suite in the air conditioning and participate and watch the fireworks show," said Kohn.
Crews have set up everything from fencing to vendor tents at Addison Circle Park. At the Cavanaugh Flight Museum, mechanics and pilots tested at least a dozen planes and helicopters that will fly solo and in formation.
"I'm sure a few people will remember some of the aircraft and maybe get a little tear in their eye," said Doug Jeanes, museum director and pilot. "We always enjoy doing that for them. It'll bring back a lot of memories to a lot of people."
The economic impact of Kaboom Town is $2 million to $4 million, from people buying food in Addison Circle Park to all the hotel and restaurant packages, some of which are sold out. Twice as many packages were sold this year compared to last year.
