BEST COMMUNITY EVENT: Kingsland Aqua Boom

KINGSLAND — Wendy Taylor was floored when told Kingsland Aqua Boom won The Picayune’s Locals Love Us award for Best Community Event in the Llano area.
“You’re kidding?” replied the event’s chairwoman.
Then, she thought about it. Aqua Boom, after all, offers something for everyone, which explains its popularity.
There are the usual activities associated with a Fourth of July bash such as parades, live music, vendors, cook-offs, and plenty of food.
Aqua Boom, however, features other big draws to Lake LBJ, including a remote-controlled aircraft show, a veterans dinner, sports tournaments, a car show, a rubber ducky race, and the Miss Aqua Boom pageant.
“We try to involve as much of the community as we possibly can and try to incorporate activities representative of what this area is about,” she said.
Of course, there’s the fireworks show with people lining Lake LBJ in boats and on the shore to witness the spectacular display.
“I think the thing that resonates with the locals is their tradition of it,” she said. “A lot of the events have been longstanding for decades. It’s part of the community.”
For many residents, both full-timers and part-timers, the fireworks show at AquaBoom is what makes Independence Day on the lake an eye-opening, jaw-dropping, magnificent, splendid affair.
“I don’t want to give away our secrets,” Taylor said about what makes the display so special. “I’d say it’s what gets most people to come out. I think that’s the tradition of Aqua Boom. And, it’s synchronized with KBEY (103.9 FM Radio Picayune).”
The fireworks and patriotic music combine to build excitement and anticipation for the 20-minute explosion of lights and sounds. Taylor credits several people for the event meeting the crowd’s expectation each July.
“We get a lot of really positive reviews,” Taylor said. “Everybody seems to really like the show better and better every year.”
While Aqua Boom is a great four-day festival, Taylor said it serves another purpose: Several nonprofits sell items at the event to raise money for new equipment or give back to the community through services. It also helps fill hotels and sends attendees to local stores.
“Part of the festival is it helps (nonprofits) be visible in the community,” Taylor said. “Everybody gets involved and makes them visible to the community. The parade is where nonprofits come in and showcase themselves. It definitely has an economic impact.”
The 2017 Aqua Boom will be its 48th anniversary. Taylor, who is in her third year as chairwoman, said the planning committee’s goal is to make each one better than the last with the aim of throwing one incredible Fourth of July party in 2019.
“We want a fireworks show worthy of a 50th anniversary,” she said.
jfierro@thepicayune.com