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Riverfest earlybirds stake out seats on Serpentine Wall

Many arrive 36 hours ahead to place tarps, chairs
Posted at 1:48 AM, Sep 03, 2017
and last updated 2017-09-03 02:02:11-04

CINCINNATI - Beth Davis and Larry Morgan know better than to wait until Sunday morning to try to land a seat on the Serpentine Wall for the Riverfest fireworks.

They were there before dawn on Saturday.

"This is our 12th year coming down here - our 20th year watching the fireworks,” Davis said.

They showed up at 5:30 a.m. to lay down their tarp and “reserve” their seats. They know the earlybird catches the best spot.

But some earlybirds showed up at 2:30 a.m. Not as many as usual, though.

“This year because of the rain, I think people waited a little bit,” Davis said. “But I'm glad we came because we got our spot."

A good-size tarp claims room for nearly 25 people, and the earlybirds like to stay in their favorite spot from year to year.

Davis said she likes sitting under the American flag flying above the wall at Sawyer Point.

“My son is in boot camp. He's enlisting to be a Marine. My father was in the army. I just love the country, I love the flag," she said.

Morgan said it’s a family tradition for him.

"My father started bringing me here when I was a kid. This is the area that he brought me,” Morgan said. 

Tradition also brings Gina Cywanowicz to the wall. This will be her 20th Riverfest.

"It's right in the middle of everything,” she said. “You can see what's going on on the water, the bridges, and the barge. It's a perfect peripheral vision."

The annual fireworks show gives everyone a chance to make friends, Cywanowicz said.

“That's how I met Danny, all the guys here. We all just ended up sitting next to each other, doing the same thing we're doing today… 10 or 11 years later, still the same thing."

They come rain or shine, but there’s no rain in Sunday’s forecast. It figures to be a perfect weather day for the fireworks shortly after 9 p.m..

"You get down, get your spot, get comfortable, and just wait for it to go off,” Morgan said.

"Oh yeah, I'll be here at 5 in the morning," Cywanowicz said, "and I'll be here until the end."

RELATED: 9 things to know before you go to Riverfest.