CINCINNATI, Ohio — Long before the first firework exploded over the Ohio River Sunday night, the race for the best seat was already underway.
At 2 a.m., nearly a full day before the show, Tim Bacon got in line.
WATCH: Cincinnati’s Riverfest 50th anniversary fireworks light up the Ohio River in the biggest show yet.
He wasn't there just for himself.
He was there to claim the family's traditional spot so his four boys, friends and everyone else in their Riverfest crew could watch the show together.
Tim has been carrying on a tradition that started with his mother 45 years ago.
She was known as the “Firework Queen.”
Tim remembers coming down to Riverfest with her. When she died 12 years ago, he decided the tradition wouldn't end with her.
“When she passed away 12 years ago, I just kept the tradition going for her. And now my son is going to start the tradition next year with me,” Tim said.
That son is 17-year-old Andrew.
On Sunday, Andrew was the first of the next generation to arrive, helping his dad claim the family's traditional spot along the riverfront.
Tim says Andrew will take over even more of the tradition next year, arriving around 2 a.m. and waiting nearly 17 hours for the fireworks.
For 45 years, the tradition has moved from mother to son.
Now, Tim is watching it move from father to son.
And on Sunday, he watched the show surrounded by his four sons and friends — with plenty of love packed into the family's longtime spot along the riverfront.
A day on the riverfront
For hours, there was plenty to do before the fireworks.
At Sawyer Point, live music filled the riverfront. Wrestling matches gave the crowd something to watch. Funnel cakes and ice cream kept people fed, while kids tossed footballs and volleyballs back and forth.
One teacher even turned the wait into a little work session, sitting by the water with his son and grading papers as they waited for the fireworks.
As the sun began to set, the riverfront slowly transformed.
Glow sticks and light-up foam sticks began appearing throughout the crowd, creating a colorful glow against the darkening sky.
Then came the drones.
The nine-minute display filled the sky with a series of images, including a crown celebrating the Queen City and logos honoring iconic rock bands.
It was only the prelude.
Then came the moment everyone had been waiting for: the fireworks.
A fireworks show like no other
For the 50th anniversary of the Western & Southern/WEBN Fireworks, organizers promised the biggest show in the event's history.
They brought in a new barge, added launches from rooftops and beneath the bridges and, for the first time in 40 years, fireworks imported from Japan.
Then the sky erupted.
For 40 minutes, fireworks filled seemingly every inch of the sky, exploding from multiple locations along the river.
There was barely a dark patch overhead.
The spectacle wasn't just something to watch. It was something to feel.
Every explosion seemed to vibrate through the riverfront, the sound and force moving through the thousands of people packed along the Ohio River.
It was loud. It was bright. It was overwhelming in the best possible way.
After nearly a full day of waiting, Tim Bacon and his family finally got the moment they'd been waiting for, sitting together in the same spot his family has returned to for generations.
For Bacon, the night was about more than a 50th anniversary fireworks show.
It was about his mom.
It was about his sons.
It was about keeping a 45-year-old tradition alive.
And now, it's Andrew's turn to carry it forward.
For Cincinnati, it was a pretty explosive way to close out the summer.
