The Epic Fireworks Blog

Archive for the ‘Pyrotechnics’ Category

Remember where you were when you heard the news.

Epic Fireworks new HQ near Barnsley, South Yorkshire is open for business.

The doors opened at 9am this morning and the crazy hordes of pyrotechnic enthusiasts swarmed the store. The initial mayhem has subsided and orderly queuing has resumed.No one was hurt in the melee but a few were injured in the knee. Eye witness reports suggest that a “firework fever” had taken over many of the customers leaving them seemingly possessed and eager for pyro desparately clutching at Thunderous Finales and snatching wildly at piles of Screaming Spiders…

A handsome Scottish Salesman acted as spokesman for Epic Fireworks saying:

“There is no need to panic, we have literally thousands and thousands of fireworks. We have had about 50 containers sent over from China, each full of top rate pyro and more containers are on their way as we speak. There is no cause for alarm.  We have, and always will have, the UKs largest range of 1.3G barrages and rockets.We will NEVER run out of fireworks.”

Don’t miss out on being one of the first in the country to see Britains biggest fireworks shop. To get the best fireworks deals un the country get yourself down there today to:

Epic Fireworks

Wentworth Business Park

Maple Road

Tankerley

South Yorkshire

S75 3DL

Epic Fireworks – The UKs home of fireworks.

WHAT: Catch a Falling Star

WHERE: Appleton, Wisconsin

WHEN: Saturday 7^th August 2010

HOW MUCH: $10 per ticket

The Pyrotechnics Guild International annual event begins on Saturday 7^th August 2010. This is the world’s premier convention of fireworks enthusiasts and plays host to some of the most impressive displays in the world. Including Guinness World Record Breakers!

This event is famous for attracting members of the guild from around the world and there is plenty to see and do including building and firing your own fireworks, learning seminars and instructional How To’s and of course, bearing witness to some of the most incredible fireworks in the world.

The Pyrotechnics Guild International has been around since 1969 and was founded by Max P. Vander Horck, who was a publisher of a monthly fireworks newsletter called “American Pyrotechnist.”

The PGI was born in order to educate and inform the masses, the media, and the government about the safe use of fireworks and ensure that fireworks would be there for all to enjoy forevermore.

There are now over 3,500 members and growing stronger. The PGI annual meets continue to be one of the most impressive gatherings of pyrotechnists anywhere in the world, except of course, when the Epic Fireworks team have their lunch break.

Bastille Day, Frances most important national holiday, commemorates the storming of the Bastille, which took place on 14 July 1789 and marked the beginning of the French Revolution. The Bastille was a prison and was seen as a symbol of the absolute and arbitrary power of Louis the 16th’s Ancient Regime. By capturing this symbol, the people warned France that the king’s power was no longer absolute: they thought power should be shared by the Nation and be limited by a separation of powers.

Although the Bastille only held seven prisoners at the time of its capture, the storming of the prison was a symbol of liberty and the fight against oppression for all French citizens; like the Tricolore, the French national flag, it symbolized the Republic’s three main ideals: Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity for all the people of France. It signified the end of absolute monarchy, the birth of the sovereign Nation, and, ultimately, the formation of the (First) Republic, in 1792.

Bastille Day was officially declared a national holiday on 6 July 1880 when the new Republic was firmly established. Bastille Day is very important for the French as it symbolizes the birth of the Republic. As in the US, where the signing of the Declaration of Independence heralded the start of the American Revolution, in France the storming of the Bastille began the Great Revolution. In both countries, the national holiday thus symbolises the beginning of a new form of government.

On the one year anniversary of the fall of the Bastille, delegates from every region of France proclaimed their allegiance to a single national community during the Fête de la Fédération in Paris – the first time in history that a people had claimed their right to self-determination.

There are nationwide celebrations every July the 14th but some of the biggest in the country take place in Paris along the famous Champs-Elysees. Thousands of spectators turn out to watch the procession and military bands as they make their way along the tree-lined avenue. After dark, raucous parties, the famous fireman’s ball – where members of the public are invited to attend in every fire station in the city – and a huge fireworks display light up the night.

With a backdrop of the world famous Eiffel Tower the fireworks are certainly spectacular, the Tower itself is often rigged and massive jets of flame shoot from all sides as aerial shells burst high above to wow the cheering crowds. The French do everything with a sense of style and Bastille Day is their time to celebrate liberty, equality and fraternity with a healthy dose of pomp and ceremony. Viva La France !  and Viva Le Fireworks !

WHAT: Macys Fireworks Display 2010

WHERE: The Hudson River, NYC

WHEN: 4^th July, Independence Day

WHAT TIME: 9:20 pm

BEST VIEWS: See below

This year the best fireworks display in America will illuminate the sky above the Hudson River again. So where is the best place to watch the fireworks on July 4th?

The very best views will be from Manhattans West Side in between 23^rd and 59^th Street. Pedestrian access to the viewing areas will be via the following streets: 24th, 26th through 30th, 34th, 40th through 44th, 47th through 52nd, and 54th through 57th.

If you are on foot, which is recommended, last year there was pedestrian access to the viewing area via: 24th, 26th through 30th, 34th, 40th through 44th, 47th through 52nd, and 54th through 57th. So plenty of places to find a nice spot and crane your neck.

There are brilliant views from Hoboken and Weehawken and some decent spots in Jersey City and North Bergen. There will be big crowds along the Promenade on the Hudson River on Independence Day.

So why the crowds? Why the hype? This is the USA’s premier fireworks display and always guaranteed to impress, wherever you are watching it from. 1,500 shells per minute will be launched into the sky over the Hudson River from 6 barges between 24^th and 50^th Streets. This is going to be 26 minutes of non-stop pyro action that you do not want to miss for the July 4th celebrations.

Remember all the best viewing areas will become busy, early. So get there sharp and get your spot grabbed before the crowds gather. We suggest bringing plenty of water with you, a blanket for sitting on and anything else you think you might need to keep you entertained while waiting for the biggest fireworks display in North America on the 4th of July.

It is normal for the West Side Highway to become a huge street party. Don’t forget to go to the little boys or girls room before you get there for any facilities provided are likely to be unmentionable.

The Macy’s 4^th July Fireworks were first shot into the sky above the Hudson in 1958 and have become a mainstay of New York’s Independence Day celebrations ever since.

Learn more about the performances, the singing and the entertainment that will be provided for all New Yorkers to enjoy on the nations birthday by clicking here.

WHAT: The Montreal International Fireworks Competition
WHERE: La Ronde, Montreal
WHEN: Every Saturday from 12^th June 2010 – 14^th August 2010

The Montreal International Fireworks Competition is among the largest of such events in the world. Every year 8 teams from around the world pit their skills against each other to win the much coveted Gold Jupiter. Each country must put on a 30 minute pyromusical display to wow the judges and win the glory and honour. There is no large cash prize just the glory of winning what is also called the L’International Des Deux Loto-Quebec.

This years fixtures have all been announced,

• Pirotecnica Soldi S.R.L. Italy Saturday 12th June
• San Tai Pyrotechnics Taiwan Saturday 19th June
• Surex Poland Saturday 26th June
• Macedo’s Pirotecnia Portugal Saturday 3rd July
• Fiatlux-Ampleman Quebec Hommage to Celine Dion Saturday 10th July
• Western Enterprises USA Saturday 17th July
• Fireworks Spectaculars Canada Saturday 24th July
• Göteborgs Fyrverkeri Fabrik Sweden Saturday 31st July
• Brezac Artifices France Saturday 7th August
• Awards Ceremony La Ronde Saturday 14th August

Each display is judged on different factors by a jury of spectators using the following criteria:

Quality of display: variety of colour, style of effects

Synchronisation: how accurately and well timed the music is with the pyrotechnics

Pyromusical concept: The originality and artistry of the display, musical choice and how it is used with the fireworks

Overall: The general feeling of the show as a whole.

The best views will be from La Ronde where the judging takes place, however another good vantage point is from the foot of the Jacques Cartier Bridge on the Montréal side of the St. Laurent River.

Wherever you decide to watch the fireworks from you are guaranteed a show to remember from this world class event.