We took a behind-the-scenes look at Washington, DC’s massive 40-minute Fourth of July fireworks show.
DC plans massive fireworks record attempt on July 4th
Pyrotechnica is planning a record-breaking fireworks show at 10 locations in Washington, D.C., on July 4th.
NEW CASTLE, Pennsylvania – Organizers say a rainbow of colors will shine over Washington, D.C., on July 4 in what will be the biggest fireworks show the world has ever seen. For 40 minutes, a flare of light will fill the sky above the National Mall.
Explosives will be launched from 10 locations, including eight barges on the Potomac River and several locations in West Potomac Park. They also line the reflecting pool, creating a runway-like flow of pops, crackles and whooshes surrounding the Lincoln Memorial.
A typical Independence Day show in the capital lasts about 18 minutes and includes about 10,000 fireworks. More than 860,000 copies are expected to be used at this year’s 250th anniversary celebration.
“No matter how many times you watch it, you see things that you didn’t see the first time,” Jason Farrell, one of the show’s designers, told USA TODAY during a recent visit to the New Castle, Pennsylvania, facility where the show is being planned.
Freedom 250, the White House-backed nonprofit organizing the milestone commemoration, tapped Pyrotecnico, a six-generation family-owned company, to develop the dazzling spectacle.
The only request they received? It broke the Philippine record set in 2016 for the largest fireworks display in history.
USA TODAY went behind the scenes at the show and spoke with Pyrotecnico about what it takes to put on a spectacular show.
“Logistics phenomenon”
The Pyrotechnico facility in New Castle, Pennsylvania, is tucked away on an inconspicuous back road surrounded by acres of grass and homes and houses hundreds of thousands of pounds of explosives. It is one of 13 locations operated by the company nationwide.
The telephone poles dotted around the site are more than half a century old. They were installed by the U.S. government during World War II when Pyrotechnico shifted production to make smoke bombs for the war effort.
Cardboard boxes filled with assorted fireworks are neatly stacked inside a white and blue shipping container.
Michael Fox, Pyrotecnico’s vice president of operations, has spent more than 40 years making sure he knows all the pieces.
On a recent particularly sunny Tuesday afternoon, he and employee Aaron Troutman were standing in a small building packaging and labeling fireworks for a July 4th show in Raleigh, North Carolina.
This is one of about 700 shows the company puts on for small towns and private groups over the festive weekend.
Fox and Troutman picked up egg-shaped 4-inch and 6-inch shells. Fox said each piece goes through at least eight sets of hands before being launched into the air.
The pair attached a label to each piece with information about its exact location in the show. Eventually they will all be connected to the igniter and computer wires. The controller will now be able to turn them off with the press of a button.
When one show is full and ready, the next one begins. Soon, they will begin the same process of packing up the Washington fireworks show and loading it onto semi-trucks.
“It takes hours to get a minute,” Fox said.
Super-large spectacle
Farrell’s first “wow” moment creating the July 4th show came when his laptop unexpectedly crashed just a few weeks after making plans. He used the machine to design displays for the Super Bowl, F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, New Year’s Eve, and other major events. But this time, he couldn’t process his thoughts.
“This is the opening of any show we’ve ever done. And not this one,” Farrell said with a laugh.
That was about 6 months ago.
He and a team of other designers at Pyrotecnico brainstormed ways to captivate the millions of people flocking to malls and watching on television.
They decided on a panorama of fireworks covering some of the city’s most iconic monuments. Each of the 10 locations will have about the same amount of fireworks as a typical Fourth of July show in a medium-sized city.
“Breaking records is very important, but what we really want to do is have people go away believing they’ve seen the best fireworks display of their lives,” said Pyrotecnico CEO Stephen Vitale.
Next, they handpicked the lockets, candles, and fountains, choosing ones from China, Italy, and Spain that few people have seen in the United States. In early renderings, some fireworks cascade like water sprinklers, while others move into the sky in strange patterns and explode.
Designers combined these large shells with smaller features close to the ground to provide viewers with multiple spots of interest during long shows. And we timed everything to flow with the music.
Thousands of hours were spent creating the final version, and Vitale said the team will continue to fine-tune it over the coming weeks.
He said the piece “depicts a family sitting on a picnic blanket and the fascination they see in the lights, sounds and noises.”
I hope the weather cooperates here.
Carissa Wadick covers America’s 250th anniversary on USA TODAY. She can be reached at kwaddick@usatoday.com.
