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Location Of Fireworks Set-Off Point No Longer Top Secret

DENVER (CBS4) - Traditionally the exact location of the fireworks display in Denver has been top secret -- until now.

The fireworks will rocket off from the Sheraton Hotel near the 16th Street Mall. More than 100,000 people are expected to crowd the mall Monday night. The 11-year tradition of the New Year's Eve celebration in Denver is so popular that it's celebrated not once, but twice.

"The setup began on the 28th and here we are on the 31st. This process takes time," said Jim Burnett, a pyrotechnics expert and president of Western Enterprises. "We are already set up, geared up and ready to go."

After days of setup and months of planning 14,000 pyrotechnic devices will all burn up in just 8 minutes flat both at 9 p.m. and midnight.

"This performance has been expanded," Burnett said. "So what we've done to make it more dramatic, we've opened it up. It's spread out to give it a lot broader appeal and (more) panoramic."

"This year we have 10 DJs synchronizing music for 8 minutes straight during our shows," said Jenny Starkey of the Downtown Denver Partnership.

DJ's, live music, magicians, balloon artists, ice skating, horse-drawn carriages -- it's no wonder Denver is ranked one of the most popular U.S. destinations to spend New Year's Eve, according to Orbitz.com.

Despite the single-digit temperatures expected Monday night the action will be hot downtown all the way through midnight.

"The finale is rather large and exciting and you want to leave everybody here to see it." Burnett said.

- Written by Nina Sparano

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