The performances will be precisely choreographed on July 4 when the butterflies and flying dragons are unleashed.
Those are some of the pyrotechnics that will be part of Vancouver’s Fireworks Spectacular on Independence Day.
Hummers, silver palms and stain-glass shells also will light up the sky above Fort Vancouver National Historic Site in the 10:05 p.m. show. And they all will be dancing to the music.
“We let the soundtrack lead us,” said Heather Gobet, owner of Western Display Fireworks in Canby, Ore. “My philosophy is that when we have a musical soundtrack, we have a good foundation of high and low points, differences in pace and imagery.”
Inventory for the 20-minute show will include component shells — cardboard and kraft paper canisters lined with items that Gobet called whistles, whirling comets and diamond screamers: “Hundreds of individual effects within one shell.
“A flying dragon is another component shell, with silver comets,” Gobet said.
The shell of shells is another multiple-burst firework. The category includes thousand-flower butterflies: “Shells that go up hundreds of feet, with not one break, but hundreds of individual breaks.”
Tourbillions are twirling silver or gold comets. Some come with a loud bang, fueled by flash powder at the end of the comet trail.
“Hummers have a really distinct buzzing, like a bee, and a zipping noise,” Gobet said. “It’s a fun interjection into a show.
“One of our suppliers features a stain-glass window, with segmented sections” in colors that include gold, red, blue and purple.
And if you think you’ve seen this fireworks show before, well, you haven’t seen all of it, Gobet said. The pyrotechnics are continually advancing.
“The fundamentals haven’t changed. But every year, they’re coming up with more vibrant colors, more precisely timed items,” she said. “We go to a lot of trade shows and conventions, and friends keep us in the know on fun new effects.”
The July 4 event is officially called Vancouver’s Fireworks Spectacular presented by Columbia Credit Union.
The show is free, a format that was adopted last year. And like the 2017 show, it is an evening event, focused on the 10:05 p.m. fireworks display, rather than the all-day celebrations that had marked the holiday in Vancouver for decades.
Vehicle access in the area will be restricted on July 4 and security gates will be in place.
Event organizers recommend that people arrive after 6 p.m. Free C-Tran shuttles will run every 15 minutes from the Fisher’s Landing Transit Center and the 99th Street Transit Center, with return service after the firework show.
Fort Vancouver National Historic Site will have plenty of things for early arrivals. Starting at noon, all park facilities will be open to pedestrian access after visitors enter through one of the three security gates.
The reconstructed Fort Vancouver will be open from noon to 8 p.m. The usual entry fee — $7 for adults — will be charged; children 15 and younger are free.
National Park Service staff and volunteers will be dressed in period costumes to represent the 19th century fur trade era.
The Visitor Center, including the bookstore, will be open from noon to 5 p.m. Pearson Air Museum will be open from noon to 8 p.m. Entry to Visitor Center and Pearson Air Museum is free. Both sites will have exhibits and films.
