LOUISVILLE — Bursts of red, white and blue filled the night sky as thousands packed the shores of the Ohio River on Saturday for Thunder Over Louisville, one of the largest annual fireworks festivals in the country.

        The colors matched this year's patriotic theme, “A Stars and Stripes Thunder,” a nod to the events of Sept. 11 and the war in Afghanistan.

        Thunder's coordinators sent a whopping 51,000 shells into the night sky, as music boomed on loudspeakers placed all around the In diana and Kentucky shorelines.

        The “Star-Spangled Banner” blared as the show began.

        “It's beautiful — and loud,” said Shellie Nelson, of Elizabethtown.

        “It's something new every year,” said Tom Eisen, of Louisville. “I love it.”

        The show ended just before 10 p.m.

        Louisville police spokeswoman Helene Kramer reported no serious disturbances and less than a dozen arrests on the day. She said one female officer suffered a minor ankle injury while making an arrest.

        About 150 boats crowded an area of the river for the show, but Coast Guard spokesman Paul Mehler reported no major incidents as the boats were departing Saturday night. A 23-year-old Louisville woman drowned two years ago during the rush of boats leaving after the show.

        Thunder Over Louisville has transformed itself from a dazzling fireworks display into a huge annual event, drawing an estimated 800,000 people. The show kicks off two weeks of events leading up to the Kentucky Derby.

        New this year was a floating stage featuring a short concert by Grammy award- winning artist LeAnn Rimes. Ms. Rimes squeezed her set in between a daylong air show and the 28-minute fireworks extravaganza.

        A helicopter towed an illuminated American flag overhead as Ms. Rimes sang the national anthem.

        Ms. Rimes was the reason for 13-year-old Jenny Muldraugh's visit to the riverfront.

        “I came to see LeAnn,” she said.

        Jenny said she couldn't believe her favorite singer would be playing on a floating barge, called “The Spirit of America Stage.”

        “Well, I do like the fireworks, too,” she said.

        Thunder Over Louisville began as a small show in 1990, but grew quickly. The pyrotechnics are orchestrated by the family-owned Zam belli Fireworks.

        The show funnels an estimated $31 million into the local economy.

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