Posted July 5, 2024
Fireworks Over Loveland’s Horseshoe Lake
Over the past couple of years, numerous Loveland locals have been telling Darla and myself that the fireworks show on Horseshoe Lake is even better than the fireworks display held at Lake Loveland. Either way, we’ve seen both now and both are spectacular!
Both lakes are privately owned, but locals and tourists can view the public fireworks display by lining up along the south end of Loveland Lake. Many veteran viewers stake out their spots along Eisenhower. Blankets and Easy-Ups pop up all day long⏤starting early in the morning.
Horseshoe Lake is roughly three miles northeast of Lake Loveland. From what I could tell, non-lake owner’s cars line the roadway on the east side of the lake. We have friends that own a house on the lake, so we had front row seating. Even without a “friend on the lake”, the Horseshoe Lake fireworks can be viewed from many locations.
A fireworks barge is moved to a position in the middle of the lake, where, precisely at 10:00pm, the show begins.
Lake owners’ pontoon boats can get an even closer view of the fireworks. I chose to stay on the shore line to be able to work with long exposures on solid ground. I used a Sony A1 body and a Sigma Sport 60-600mm lens. It turned out to be a good choice as I was able to zoom in on shots like this.
I photographed a lot of fireworks shows when I lived in Jackson, WY. I remember thinking it would be great to someday be able to photograph a fireworks show with a lake below it. Well, Loveland, CO has it! Our new home offers up a lot of fun and exciting activities.
FWIW: These are all single shots! There were often groups of explosions and streaks in the dark night sky.
Photo Gallery
Darla keeps an eye on a couple of local Facebook pages. The sites let us know of upcoming events and attractions. The “Lovelander’s” page showed a photo of a heavily decorated boat on Loveland Lake. The photo came with a caption, “Come out tonight for a lighted boat parade on Loveland Lake.” We packed up and drove a short distance to the show. I have to admit, we were hoping for “more”⏤more boats and more lights. Still, it was an enjoyable way to spend the late evening. The lake is still full and the Front Range Mountains are visible to the west of the lake. The parade of boats was held on July 3rd. A large fireworks show was simultaneously being held in Berthoud, around 8 miles south of Loveland.
