Mess’s Fireworks prepares for holiday weekend rush

GREAT BEND, PA (WIVT/WBGH) – Just across the border, in Great Bend, workers at Mess’s Fireworks have been going non-stop to prepare for this long, holiday weekend, and tonight is no exception.

News 34 stopped by Mess’s Fireworks this afternoon, and the lines for checkout stretched around the store.

Independence Day is the biggest day of the year for Mess’s and firework businesses everywhere.

One of the mangers, Andrew Merrell has been working at Mess’s for years and says he can’t remember a time when it was busier than it was today. He says with the holiday being on a Thursday, lots of people are taking more days off than usual.

“It’s definitely the busiest it’s been this fourth. I think the fourth being on a Thursday really changed things. It kind of gives people two different times to celebrate and I think the rush is really starting to come in today,” said Merrell.

Merrell says that Memorial Day is when business really starts to pick up. He says they’ll be open from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day, besides Sunday, which is open 8 to 10 p.m.

With it being illegal to purchase fireworks in New York, Merrell says a majority of Mess’s customers are driving across state lines to shop.

“Ever since PA made them legal for PA residents to buy, we’ve definitely seen more, but I would still say the vast majority is out of state,” said Merrell. “You used to need to have a permit to do anything. You could sell them but you couldn’t buy the, Now, it’s free reign to all PA residents. We have no other restrictions selling to any other states. I know New York has its own guidelines and such, but anyone can buy them here.”

He says the top selling fireworks this year are a new line of seven-inch mortars that sold out already, and he expects some of their other mortars to sell out as well.

You can look up specific products on their website, fireworks1.com .

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