The July 4th forecast of clear skies, minimal wind and no rain looks good for a fireworks display. And when you’re setting off a giant light show above some of the most historic buildings in the nation, that’s extra peace of mind.
“Friday looks pretty perfect,” said Robert Currie, executive director, Performing Arts & Special Events at Colonial Williamsburg.
An 18-minute fireworks show at 9:30 p.m. concludes a full day in Colonial Williamsburg, featuring multiple readings of the Declaration of Independence, fife and drum music saluting the original 13 states, and a special appearance by the Virginia Chorale.
Prime viewing is on the Palace Green and Market Square, although the fireworks will be visible for miles.
“July 4 is a massive undertaking,” Currie said. “It takes us most of the year to plan it out.”
Colonial Williamsburg collaborates with Pyrotecnico, a company with roots dating back to 1889, when its “founding father,” Constantino Vitale, set off his first homemade mortar over a small town in Naples, Italy. When Vitale immigrated to America in 1922, he set up shop in New Castle, Delaware, and started the business now run by his great-grandchildren.
Pyrotecnico account executive John Loreto, who designed Friday’s show, fell in love with fireworks, setting them off in his backyard as a teen. He joined the company in 2006 and has created shows for inaugurations, theme parks, baseball games and holidays, including multiple Independence Days in Williamsburg.
“I don’t think people realize the amount of work that goes into a show that’s 15 or 20 minutes long,” he said. “And the crew members that spend the holiday away from their family to do their job because they enjoy it that much.”
Loreto never designs two shows the same. Years ago, he used a spreadsheet, and then specialized software replaced it.
“I designed this year’s show on computer and have a simulation on video of what the show will look like.”
Often, Loretto will open a show with a “cake, “ a barrage of shots one after another. Per request from Colonial Williamsburg, he will start this Friday’s show with a salute, fireworks known more for their bang than aesthetics. He offered no spoilers for the rest of the night, but he favors variety.
“We’ll carry a scene for a period of time that doesn’t run too long and bore people,” Loreto said. “I switch through scenes as quickly as possible, something around 15 seconds.”
An automatic firing system operates the stunning light show, which features 1,500 firework shells —spheres of pyrotechnic ingredients wrapped in paper.
Safety protocols stricter than the law requires, Loreto said, make the evening safe for spectators, the buildings and the contents inside.
“The hardest thing with this show is we have a site that’s next to the building and there are bushes that have been around forever that are manicured really nicely,” Loreto said. “We have product close to the building and all the antique stuff that’s inside the building is high priority to keep safe, so it is nerve-wracking.”
As scripted as those 18 minutes are, lines of communication among the team at Colonial Williamsburg, the Pyrotecnico crew and the Williamsburg fire marshal remain open throughout the day and well past the show’s conclusion.
“Williamsburg is unique because there’s not a lot of room and they bring in a very large crowd,” said the city’s fire marshal, Kenny Lamm.
The weather can change plans in a hurry. An unexpected deluge of rain in 2019 forced a mass evacuation of the area.
“We’re constantly monitoring the weather right up until shoot time,” Lamm said.
The forecast leading up to the 4th included two days of showers, which is another good sign for a smooth Friday.
“We’re always worried about it being too dry,” Lamm said. “One of the biggest fears I have as a fire marshal is the aftereffects. Fallout has to come down somewhere. If you have something that detonates too low, it can create a spot fire.”
While there isn’t excessive woodland near Colonial Williamsburg, “If something does land on top of these very irreplaceable, unique buildings, it creates a danger of fire expanding from there,” Lamm said.
When spot fires have ignited, the pyrotechnic crew and fire marshal staff have extinguished them without incident.
The way the wind blows matters a lot, as it can alter the trajectory of the fireworks and send embers toward spectators. Too high gusts can postpone a show, but light winds are an asset to dissipate the smoke quickly.
Thousands are expected to watch the sky illuminate in brilliant colors from the once-capital of the Virginia Colony.
“I’ve seen hundreds of fireworks shows in my career,” Lamm said. “There’s some magic about being able to see the fireworks over the top of the original Governor’s Palace as we celebrate Independence Day.”
Visit colonialwilliamsburg.org for information on its July 4 events.
