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  Break out the bbq, put the coopers on ice, and get ready to indulge that inner pyromaniac, the 4th of July is almost here.  As we celebrate our National Day, and the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, it could not come at a better time.  This year the 4th lands on a Saturday which couldn’t be any better, and will be a welcome distraction from all the troubles going on around the world.  With all the uncertainty in the middle east, administration and policy changes in the US, a slumping global economy, and a killer flu being spread by pigs, a bit of fun in the sun, bbq, cold beer and fireworks is just what the doctor ordered!

  Firework displays have gotten increasingly more extravagant over the years.  For the past few years the Seattle display has been kicked off by a military helicopter with a giant American flag circling around lake Union.  A far cry from my family waving sparklers in our backyard as the kids attempt to dazzle and impress with ground flowers and fountains.

 The explosions in this 27-minute show occur "from the ground up," according to Stephen Vitale, president of display firm Pyrotecnico. They incorporate both low- and high-altitude mortars, which they launch along a 1200-foot stretch of the Scioto River in downtown Columbus from as many as nine different positions, all of them synchronized. Called Red, White & Boom, the event traditionally attracts 500,000 people.

 Pyrotechnicans' favorite stage? "Water," says Dr. John Conkling, professor of chemistry at Washington College in Maryland. "The reflections enhance the overall visual effect." Lake Tahoe is the 10th-deepest lake in the world and also one of the clearest and most beautiful. And the annual "Lights on the Lake" show on the South Shore—produced by Pyro Spectaculars and shot from barges 1500 feet off shore—bills itself as the "largest synchronized fireworks display west of the Mississippi." With around 5,000 effects, the arsenal is significantly smaller than others on our list. But for scenic splendor, this show has everyone beat.

 At just 17 minutes, the show in Washington, DC is one of the shortest fireworks displays on our list, but it's one of America's best. For pure patriotic fervor, the setting can't be beat: An eight-man crew launches the shells right on the National Mall, equidistant between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. Pyro Shows of LaFollette, Tennessee choreographs nothing but high-altitude shells; each is designed to break higher than the Washington Monument's 555-foot peak. New this year: An Olympic-themed shell, which breaks into five interlocking rings.

 If it feels like a lot of work to get to the fireworks here—it can be a three-mile hike to the base of the monument—just imagine what it takes to launch them. For two full days, pyrotechnicians and National Park employees rope-lift thousands of aerial shells up the monument's 500-foot granite facade. At precisely 9:15 p.m. on July 3, the explosions burst from the heads of George, Thomas, Abe and Teddy. Zambelli Internationale has created this stirring show for more than a decade.

 July is the driest—and most beautiful—month in Seattle. No surprise, then, that more than 50,000 locals flock to Lake Union for the annual WaMu Family 4th. Produced by Pyro Spectaculars, the 21-minute show includes 2,300 shells and approximately 10,000 effects.

 The 20-minute show held on Water Ski Lake at this theme park exemplifies the adage that good things come in small packages. No aerial shell explodes higher than 250 feet. And the ground effects, such as gerbs (which release a jet of sparks) and saxons (which produce sparks as they spin), can ignite as close as 15 feet from the crowd. The whole experience, says general manager Lloyd Sponenburgh, is more intense. Even the pyrotechnicians "can hear the cheers of the crowd through the din of the fireworks."

 Disney theme parks are renowned for the complexity and precision of their fireworks shows. And this year marks the introduction of a brand new 13-minute show at the Magic Kingdom: "Disney's Celebrate America!—A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky." Launched from 24 different locations, including from the clock tower of Cinderella's Castle, the fireworks literally surround spectators on Main Street.

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25 June 2009

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