Behind the Scenes of Edmonds Fireworks

When Edmonds residents catch the big fireworks display Monday evening, it will be thanks to the hard work of Entertainment Fireworks Inc.'s crew.

The Olympia-based company has been putting on shows at Civic Playfield in Edmonds for the past decade. Entertainment Fireworks sales representative and display consultant Gary Schuette counts Edmonds as one of his favorite spots to put on a show.

"We absolutely love the City of Edmonds," Schuette said. "Everyone is so helpful and the crowd is really responsive. People go absolutely nuts."

The Edmonds display is one of roughly 200 fireworks shows Entertainment Fireworks orchestrates each year. The company sends one licensed professional to run the show, and then hires a crew to carry out the labor.

For the Edmonds display, Entertainment Fireworks plans to bring in long boxes filled with sand. Crew members then bury 18 to 24-inch tubes in the sand. Each of the tubes contain shells, which will be shot off based on an order pre-determined through a computer program. An Entertainment Fireworks programmer spends about 20 hours putting together each show.

The size of the shells depends on the venue. To shoot off the largest shells, the site must be remote or on water far away from people. Safety rules dictate that for each inch of shell, 70 feet must separate the explosives from the crowds. Since the Edmonds display takes place in a relatively confined area, the largest shell is 3 inches.

The entire Edmonds show will last about 16 or 17 minutes. Schuette said the display should reflect both classics and current trends, such as pastel colors. He promises that even veterans of Edmonds 4th of July will appreciate the display, as Entertainment Fireworks constantly changes things up.

"Even if you've seen the Edmonds show five years in a row, you'll never see the same thing," Schuette said.