Fourth of July traditions range from twirling sparklers to viewing a large fireworks display, but whatever the tradition fireworks will light up the night sky Saturday.
Skip Playford, manager of the Wacky Waynes Fireworks on Martintown Road, always puts forethought into the shows he puts on at his home in Johnston.
"I'll pick stuff that I know is loud and colorful," said Playford. Playford puts on a show about twice a year for friends and family, usually on the Fourth of July and New Years Eve.
He typically sets the show up where he lights the fuse on each firework and quickly moves away.
He has also set fireworks up on a piece of plywood, wired them together and used a long fuse to light them. This allowed the show to move more quickly, since he did not need to light each fuse.
Playford's shows typically last between 30 and 45 minutes, although he put on a two-hour show about three weeks ago. It was his send-off for his son who went into the Army.
He said many times his neighbors will watch from their front yards, or will wander into his yard.
Playford said he enjoys doing the shows because it's exciting.
"I just like the noise and seeing the colors and effects," he said. "It's just amazing."
Families opting to let others light the fuse can head to a major show like Riverblast, which will be held Saturday at Riverwalk in Augusta.
Fireworks will be shot off of the North Augusta side of the Fifth Street Bridge.
Craig Butler of Thomson and about nine other people will spend 10 hours Saturday setting up for that evening's show.
He is the licensed technician in charge of setting up Riverblast 2009.
He said Riverblast 2009 will last approximately 26 minutes. The crew will spend another two and a half hours breaking it down, Butler said.
The show is choreographed by Melrose Pyrotechics, Inc., in Catawba, S.C.
Butler estimated that it took technicians about three days to script and two days to pack the materials and prepare it for shipping.
Technicians at Melrose produce a CD for the show. On one side will be music that will be played over a local radio station.
"The computer shoots the show in sync with the music," Butler said.
A computer-generated show is expensive. Butler would not give specific numbers, but said that Riverblast has the largest budget of all of the Augusta-area fireworks.
"The Riverblast show will be the only computer-fired show in this area on the Fourth of July," he said.
If he's not setting up a show, he would rather watch someone else's.
"It's like work for me,"Butler said. "I enjoy going to see fireworks."
Reach Lisa Kaylor at lisa.kaylor@northaugustatoday.com.
WHERE TO BUY:
The hours listed are typical store hours. Each location will observe extended hours through July 4. Each place will close on July 3 and 4 when the last customer leaves.
WACKY WAYNES
Address: 1174 W. Martintown Road
Phone: (803) 279-1936
Hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 1-7 p.m. Sunday.
WACKY WAYNES
Address: 3336 Jefferson Davis Highway
Phone: (803) 279-1934
Hours: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday
FIREWORKS GIANT
Address: 972 Old Plantation Road
Phone: (803) 278-2227
Hours: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday
FIREWORKS GIANT
Address: 827 E. Martintown Road
Phone: (803) 279-3835
Hours: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday
FIREWORKS SUPERSTORE
Address: 523 E. Martintown Road
Phone: (803) 442-4414
Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
FOX CREEK FIREWORKS
Address: 1295 W. Martintown Road
Phone: (803) 613-0033
Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday
TACKY TONY'S
Address: Floyd Avenue at E. Martintown Road
Phone: (803) 279-5737
Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week
SWEETWATER BP FIREWORKS
Address: 1015 Edgefield Road
Phone: (803) 278-1114
Hours: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
WHAT'S LEGAL?
In South Carolina, most fireworks are legal. Those banned include explosive devices such as M-80s, M-100s, blockbusters or quartersticks. Any device that produces sound can only contain two grains of pyrotechnic composition.
In Georgia, legal fireworks include sparklers up to 100 grams of mixture per item, snake and glow worms, paper streamers, party poppers, string poppers, snappers and drop pops containing .25 grains or less of explosive mixture.
Illegal fireworks include firecrackers, torpedoes, skyrockets, roman candles, bombs and sparklers over 100 grams.
SOURCE: S.C. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, LICENSING AND REGULATION, AND OFFICIAL CODE OF GEORGIA
