Thunderfest’s launch from the first new site in 24 years was certainly no dud.
Ephram White Park hosted the annual concert and fireworks show put on Saturday by the Bowling Green Kiwanis Club, and thousands braved the scorching mid-afternoon heat to be entertained by the lineup of musical guests and the fireworks display that capped the evening.
The event is in its 53rd year and had been held at the National Corvette Museum since 2000, but the plot of land used to launch the fireworks there has been bought with plans for apartments to go there, forcing the relocation.
At the park, experienced Thunderfest attendees noticed the larger space and expanded food options.
“I like the setup here better than the Corvette Museum,” said Quinten Curry, of Bowling Green, sitting in a lawn chair next to T.J. Woodard and their families near a tree. “The shade is way better.”
Woodard, also from Bowling Green, said he was struck by how little trouble his group had in parking and finding a prime spot to gather and see the fireworks.
“Coming in here and parking was real smooth, and I’m curious to see how traffic will be going out,” Woodard said.
Whitney Kinslow, this year’s Thunderfest Co-chair, said Ephram White Park stood out as the optimal site for the festival due to its ample space and its location.
A total of 23 food vendors were joined by 20 non-food vendors, and a kid’s zone featured five inflatables, making for no shortage of entertainment options.
“The bouncy house was fun,” said Tucker Massey, 9, of Glasgow, who was attending with his family and looking forward to the fireworks. “I hope everyone has a good time.”
An estimated 5,000 people attend the event each year, and organizers expected a similar turnout for Saturday’s festival.
“The footprint here at Ephram White is an estimated five times what we had at the Corvette Museum, and it’s allowed us to grow even in year one here, so we’re hopeful that this can become home for Thunderfest,” Kinslow said.
Kinslow said the goals for the first festival at Ephram White were to ensure that traffic flowed smoothly in and out of the park and to see that festivalgoers had a good space to watch the fireworks and the musical acts.
Thunderfest acts as the largest fundraiser for the Bowling Green Kiwanis Club, with the money going into the club’s nonprofit foundation to be redistributed to local charities and organizations benefiting children and families.
“When people come out to Thunderfest, they’re really helping further the mission of a lot of local nonprofits and charities that they care about, and they might not even realize it,” Kinslow said.
