‘Lights on the Lake' one of nation's best fireworks shows
Friday, July 3, 2009
South Lake Tahoe's Fourth is second to none. The 28th annual “Lights on the Lake,” the South Shore's Independence Day fireworks display, will illuminate the skies over the blue waters of Lake Tahoe.
Not only is “Lights on the Lake” the largest fireworks extravaganza on the West Coast, it's drawn national attention: NBC's “Today Show,” Travel + Leisure magazine, USA Today, yahoo.com, MSNBC.com and ForbesTraveler.com all rank the display among their top Fourth of July celebrations. In addition, the American Pyrotechnics Association includes “Lights on the Lake” as one of the top five fireworks show in the nation.
Vantage points include Tahoe's two paddlewheelers, the Tahoe Queen and the M.S. Dixie II, which offer dining packages for the show; the Tallac Historic Site off Emerald Bay Road has an east-viewing perspective, while Baldwin Beach has picnic tables and fire pits nearby; Nevada Beach State Park has a sandy shoreline and picnic tables; Regan and El Dorado beaches fill up fast; and Bijou Community Park has a skatepark, disc golf course, municipal golf course and playground.
Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course invites guests to watch the fireworks and enjoy an all-you-can-eat buffet with Jamaican jerk chicken, soy-marinated salmon, hamburgers and hot dogs. Tickets are $50 for adults, $20 for kids and younger at southtahoe.activitytickets.com.
From those vistas, visitors and locals can see the fireworks explode into the shapes of jellyfish, stars, butterflies and smiley faces as local radio stations KRLT-FM 93.9 and KOWL-AM 1490 simulcast the soundtrack to the pyrotechnics.
That's not all the music available for the holiday: Abbracadabra, “the ultimate ABBA experience, will perform July 2-3 and 5 in Harrah's South Shore Room. Last One Picked performs original American rock, blues and country July 3-4 at the Lakeside Inn and Casino, with no cover charge.
Big Blue Summer MusicFest will continue at the Tallac Historic Site, with “Red White and Toccata-Tahoe Blue,” a holiday presentation by the Orchestra and Community Chorale of the Tahoe Area featuring the music of American composers in the Boathouse Theater.
Activities will continue almost every week throughout the summer, including the 20th annual American Centruy Championship golf tournament July 14-19 and Labor Day fireworks Sunday, Sept. 6. For more information on what's going on around the South Shore, contact the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority at (800) 288-2463 or visit www.bluelaketahoe.com.