Crews prepare for Pepsi Independence Day fireworks show

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL)—Preparing for the thousands of people who will attend the annual Pepsi Independence Day celebration at Johnson City’s Freedom Hall takes days.

The crew responsible for the highlight of the event, the fireworks show, began days before the event.

Pyro Shows team lead Sean Mahoney said this year’s show will consist of 19 minutes and 53 seconds of continuous pyrotechnics.

It took nearly 30 hours of work before the first firework was detonated.

“We spent about 12 hours out here Tuesday, started at 5:45 in the morning, we started again Wednesday at 5:45, and we’ll be out here until about 4 p.m., ” Mahoney explained. “In addition, we’ll, of course, be back out on the 4th to finish.”

The work includes setting up hundreds of canisters and the tedious task of wiring each one to remote detonators.

Mahoney said everyone has their favorite type of fireworks and told News Channel 11 that the crowd seems to love the ones that go the highest.

“Oh, it’s always the high aerials; if you’re like us, we like the low stuff line volley where you have three different things, but crowd favorites [are] always big stuff,” Mahoney said.

Mahoney feels the best place to see the fireworks is at the Freedom Hall event because other Johnson City locations do not offer as good a view.

City Officials at Freedom Hall have also done their share of prep work and said they are ready for the event, which will include food trucks, a beer garden, restrooms, live music, kids’ games, a special sensory quiet area and more.

They’re also prepared for the heat and any medical emergency.

“Ems will be here; they’ll be on the corner of the parking lot, centrally located. We’ll have police bike patrols,” said Mark Stone, Freedom Hall’s general manager. He added, ” We have the misting stations that can cool you off in a hurry and plenty of beverages.”

Stone requests that guests leave their fireworks at home. The only thing you’ll need to bring is a chair and maybe a blanket to set up and enjoy the day.

The Pepsi Fireworks Celebration begins at 4 p.m., and the fireworks start at 10:05 p.m.

Patriotic music will accompany the fireworks show. For those who cannot attend, the show will be broadcast live on News Channel 11, ABC Tri-Cities, and live-streamed on WJHL.com.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather.