EAST AURORA, N.Y. (WKBW) — The parade route is set and East Aurora is ready to go for it's annual July 3rd celebration.
Hundreds of people were already in Hamlin Park early Monday afternoon enjoying a variety of activities but the main event is the fireworks display set for 10:00 p.m. on Monday night.
"It is our Christmas," said Jay Roll, a professional display operator with Skylighters Fireworks, "It really is that time of year."
Jay and his wife Wendy Roll have worked with Skylighters Fireworks for a combined 30 years. The couple tells 7 News that professional crews will spend hours setting up the annual Hamlin Park fireworks show which is always a special event.
"This is a fabulous show," says Jay, "It's a lot of salute with a big heavy finale. It's beautiful, absolutely beautiful. A lot of cakes involved."
Those "cakes" house the fireworks. "Think of a cake as a show in a box," says Wendy. Dozens of "cakes" and hundreds of shells will make up both the main show and the finale at Hamlin Park. Wendy says the show on Monday night will last between 30 and 35 minutes.
The Roll's also tell 7 News that each different color of firework that you see up in the sky has a different cost associated with it. "Red and green are cheaper," says Jay, "An expensive color would be blue, but they can be a gorgeous blue color when they do it."
Of course safety is always front and center.
Skylighters Fireworks coordinates with local fire companies to ensure proper setup and cleanup so the public can just sit back and enjoy the show. The best advice for safety. Let the professionals handle it. "You certainly want to leave it up to the professionals and it's easier that way too," said Jay.
And fireworks have evolved over the years so there is always something new.
"Everything is much bigger, much more beautiful. A greater variety. It's amazing world we live in right now."
Skylighters Fireworks serves Buffalo, Dunkirk and Rochester. The website says the professional fireworks company puts on nearly 190 shows between the months of May and September each year.
You can find a list of local fireworks shows here.
