Columbia providing buses to city’s Fire in the Sky celebration

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia's bus system will provide a bus route from several city parking garages to the Fire in the Sky celebration on Monday.

Go COMO Transit will pick up people from six downtown parking garages.

The buses will take people to Stephens Lake Park, where the city's event is being held. According to a press release, the free bus services will run from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. People can monitor the buses with the city's Go COMO app. The bus system will not operate outside of the event on Monday.

Fire in the Sky starts at 6 p.m. Live entertainment is scheduled to start at 6:15 p.m. at the park's amphitheater. Food trucks will open around 6:30 p.m. and fireworks start around 9:15 p.m.

This is the first year the event will be held at Stephens Lake Park. Earlier this month, city officials said they wanted a larger site.

"We evaluated Stephens Lake Park along with other locations and determined that there was ample space for activities as well as the necessary elevation for the fireworks display to be seen from multiple vantage points in the city," Acting Parks and Recreation Director Gabe Huffington said.

The city previously said that many of Boone Hospital's parking lots would be available for public parking. Police will help manage traffic in the area Monday night.

Columbia will not enforce parking on July 4. The holiday will also affect trash and recycling collection. Pickup will not happen Monday and will be delayed by a day for the rest of the week.

The city's Activity and Recreation Center (ARC) will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Albert-Oakland Family Aquatic Center and the Douglass Family Aquatic Center will be open from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday.