The Vol Navy was out in full force, and recruited some new ships to their fleet, as convivial gatherings were taking place all over the Tennessee River. Neyland Drive was shut down by police, as thousands of people roamed the streets, talking, laughing, watching people ride mechanical bulls or sing karaoke, while the smell of hot dogs, funnel cakes, and a wide assortment of different foods filled the twilight air.

The energy in the air was high, capped not only by the anticipation of fireworks lighting the night sky, but also from the outstanding performance by the Vols in dismantiling California last night. As the throng of people milled around Neyland Drive and Volunteer Landing, the smiles and laughter from Tennessee fans was plain to see.

"How 'bout them Vols!," shouted a voice from the distance, and fans answered with cheers.

Horns sounded throughout the Vol Navy before the show began, as "Rocky Top" could be heard in the distance.

The boat of fans that welcomed us in might be called "Southeast of Disorder", but to watch the fireworks display, it was right on target. The atmosphere was friendly, as it has been from the start with the Moffitts and their friends.

When asked about the game, our hosts broke into huge smiles.

"They played really well," Laura Brewer said. "We hope they'll make it to Atlanta this year."

Tonight, though, as well as the Vols played, the fireworks show was the topic of choice.

"The city used to have the event on Labor Day," said Brewer, "and I couldn't make it. I couldn't take Tuesday off of work to go see fireworks. But a few years ago, they moved it to Sunday night, and then I could see it. And WOW, it was amazing."

Shelly, Gary and Julia Moffitt's daughter, gave a piece of advice as to what to watch for.

"They make a waterfall with the sparks, starting from the top of the (Henley Street) bridge," she said. "That is the best part of the fireworks show."

And with a rousing countdown, the show began shortly after 9:30 this evening. The sky was instantly lit up with continous series of fireworks that left people gasping, clapping, shouting, and cheering. Streams of gold sparks shot diagonally across the sky, while red, white, and blue stars soared above them. Red hearts followed a burst of gold circles that seemed to hang in midair for minutes at a time before gently fading into the moonlight.

Then, the 'waterfall' was created. As fireworks exploded overhead, a stream of white and gold sparks spilled from the top of the bridge, creating a waterfall that looked like it came down from the heavens, welcoming all of us to enjoy the wonders that we were watching, with jaws dropped low enough to taste the river bed below.

Moments later, what seemed to be impossible was being shown in front of a captivated crowd. Fireworks were coming straight out of the water, shooting streams of sparks instead of water. The sparks flew until suddenly, with a loud BOOM, fireworks shot off streams of gold from everywhere around the boat.

As the show ended, to much cheering and whooping from the crowd, Shelley and Gary watched the smoke move down the river, away from their boat.

"One time," Gary said, "the wind decided to go the other way and we watched through the haze and smoke. It definitely wasn't much fun that year for us."

"It turned everything on the boat black," Shelley said. "It took hours of washing and scrubbing to get the black soot off of the boat."

Once the show was over, the music was turned back up, and laughter, along with lots of little girls, and girls at heart, dancing the night away as if there were truly no worries or concerns in the world at all. This was, after all, Boomsday, where having fun and being awestruck by the fireworks above were the issues of the day.

And that only adds to the unique flavor and excitment that is football time in Tennessee.