I hope everyone had a fantastic Fourth of July. It was nice to have it on a Friday and not worry about going to work the next day. I remember in previous years battling the traffic from the fireworks show on Independence Day evening and thinking if there ever was a day to call in sick, this would be it.

Hanging with the family at Pavilion Park for the 2025 fireworks show.

And that is what I want to discuss tonight. No, I am not talking about calling in sick. Rather, I want to ever so briefly discuss a couple key components of fireworks shows. Yep, just a couple.

Sloan, Beau, and Sid watch the fireworks at Pavilion Park.

For the past four years, my family has gone to Pavilion Park in Liberty Lake, Washington, to end our Fourth of July with a bang. It is the gathering spot for the community’s pretty solid fireworks show that always starts at 10 p.m….usually.

Watching the fireworks with my girl at Pavilion Park in Liberty Lake.

I say usually because the fireworks show at Pavilion Park “jumped the gun” just a little bit on Friday night when the first rockets burst in the air at 9:57 p.m. I know you are probably thinking big deal but it is my belief that fireworks shows should always start on the dot or a little bit after. My family was set by 9:45 p.m. so we were ready for the early start but what about those who did show up late or ran to use the bathroom thinking they still had three minutes to spare? Or, what about those who simply like to countdown to 10 p.m. as they savor every second of anticipation? Unless concerned parents thought the show needed to start earlier this year so their kids could get three extra minutes of sleep, I think a fireworks display scheduled for 10 p.m. should start at that time sharp.

The fireworks show at Pavilion Park started at 9:57 a.m. The display was beautiful!

But perhaps the early start time was due to an upgrade this year. Instead of the 7-minute show from past years, this one lasted for 15 minutes. It is my belief that the quarter of an hour mark is the sweet spot for a fireworks production. Because I have attended the past fireworks shows that lasted under 10 minutes at Pavilion Park, I can say they kind of left a little to be desired. If you travel more than 15 minutes for the show and you are going to be in traffic for at least 20 minutes after, a little longer show makes it more worth your while. On the other side of the coin, I have also heard about and even attended some fireworks shows that last considerably longer—pushing 30 minutes and beyond. When these displays go for extended periods of time, you do start to become desensitized to the dazzling colors and effects. And even if you don’t, your kids do—and that’s never a good thing.

I think the 15-minute show at Pavilion Park was perfect.

So perhaps the pushed up beginning was to account for the extra pyrotechnics. Either way, I probably should find something else to complain about instead of a free fireworks show. Oh come on, you know I am not really complaining—just offering some bad commentary on a hallmark of Independence Day. Anyway, unless something changes in 52 weeks, we will be back at Pavilion Park next year at least 10 minutes early with my stop watch. Don’t Blink.