A bang-up job
Behind the scenes at fireworks
Staff writer
It’s an adrenaline-fueled, nervous-excitement-filled, nearly-24-hour day.
But for more than a century now, Peabody has put on a display in pyrotechnics as part of a daylong celebration (schedule on Page B6) that people as far as 300 miles away recognize.
“It’s a great tradition,” said Jay Gfeller, who has led the event for eight years. “You could be in Branson, Missouri, and meet somebody and they’ll say, ‘Where are you from?’ You say ‘Peabody,’ and they go, ‘Oh yeah, they have that fireworks show every year.’”
“Tradition” may be the best word to describe how it happens. From generations of families involved in its production to the way fuses are lighted and how the displays are set up, tradition runs throughout the event.
“It’s a generational event,” said Linda Martinez, owner of Gathered ’Round Bistro and Bakery. “Whether you were born and raised here or whether you’ve moved in here … the techniques are passed down from generation to generation on how to wire up the sets.”
Instead of an automated system to light fuses, someone carrying a road flare tied to the end of a stick dances and darts from display to display. Communication by flashlight lets workers know when to stop one and start the next.
“That’s all the guys are doing down on the field as they’re directed throughout the show process,” Gfeller said.
Gfeller, who has helped build, set up, set off, and maintain fireworks ground displays since he was a kid, can’t make the colorful explosions of gunpowder come to fruition alone.
It takes a village — literally.
Gfeller works alongside around 50 people, including his mom, dad, and brother, to make the evening happen.
“There’s probably at least 30 people-plus involved in setting the event up,” he said. “On top of that, you also have probably 20 volunteers that take turns running our gates throughout the evening for the admission and things like that.”
The day of, he wakes up and is at the park before 6 a.m., shooting off signals to let the city know “we’re ready to go.”
The morning doesn’t stop there.
By 9 a.m., they’re back at the park to get things set up. A permitted display operator must be on-site throughout the whole day.
Fireworks — which range from 2½-inch to 4-inch shells, and “bigger, more powerful” fountains — are planned out for each display and meticulously fused together.
Everything is in place by 5 p.m. The show starts at dusk. Clean up begins once it has ended. They typically break at midnight. More cleaning happens the morning after. Workers are lucky to get an hour or two of downtime for a nap.
“I myself won’t end up getting out of the park after running the show this year until after 1 a.m.,” Gfeller said.
The excursion can be nerve-racking. There is no test run.
“A lot of it is built off of experience,” he said.
One year, an automated firing system was brought in for the display, but the mechanics failed right before the show. In a scramble, all the fuses and fireworks were carefully rearranged to light them by hand — the traditional way.
“I had three volunteer shooters that were all licensed and ready to go and actually hand-lighted everything,” Gfeller said. It was far from a perfect scenario, but the show must go on.
Though the fireworks light up the night sky once a year for just an hour, planning starts at least a month in advance. Last year’s displays must be washed and refurbished, while new ones are sometimes built.
This year will feature three that have never been seen before: A birthday cake for the United States turning 250 years old, another for the 105th year of the event, and a lighthouse to represent the “guiding light of the Lord.” Churches in Peabody helped finance that one. And, of course, the display will conclude with the Battle of New Orleans — another layer of tradition.
“It takes a lot of dedicated volunteers, a lot of man hours get put in for a show that lasts an hour,” Gfeller said. “It’s something that has lasted 105 years.”
Other celebrations
- Cruise at 7 p.m. Friday followed by fireworks at Marion County Lake.
- Music at 8 p.m. Friday, lunch and games starting at noon Saturday, then karaoke at 6 p.m. and fireworks at Hillsboro American Legion.
- Daylong celebration Saturday at Ramona including breakfast, run, lawn art and pie eating, then fireworks.
- Food at 5 p.m. Sunday at city pool followed by fireworks in Florence.
- Music at 7 p.m. Sunday followed by fireworks at Aulne Bible Church.