Pyrotechnicians and performers make Riverfront Park's 4th of July celebration come alive

SPOKANE, Washington- A massive crowd is expected for the fireworks show tonight in Riverfront Park. The bright, colorful display will light up the sky, right in the heart of the city.

For the thousands that watch, the bursts of red, white, and blue look effortless. For Ethan Compogno and his crew, it's a labor of love that takes hours of difficult and dangerous work.

This will be Compogno’s third year as head pyro for the downtown show, though he’s been on the team for the last fifteen years. Compogno isn’t doing it alone. He has a full team of family and friends to make the city's biggest fireworks show come to life.

"Other people, I go to church with and they're interested in pyro so we bring them down and put them through the paces. Can you set it up, can you shoot safely and if so, they can come back next year and do it all over again,” said Compogno.

It's a job that takes a lot of time management and coordination, but Compogno says working with people he knows and loves makes it a lot easier.

"It's fun to see these people outside of other events and to have a common goal. To come together and get it done...it's a lot of fun."

Before the first firework shoots off at 10 p.m., crowds are swarming food trucks and carnival rides. The sound of music fills the park all day, with a closing performance by MasterClass Big Band. The non-profit band is comprised of high school and college musicians in training, along with veteran performers. The goal of MasterClass Big Band is to get the crew ready to not just play music but put on a show.

"For us to be here as the main act tonight performing right before the fireworks, it's a huge deal. I mean for all of us. I'm so excited to be here," said Jim Swoboda, lead singer and emcee for, MasterClass Big Band.

When it's all said and done, cheers from the crowd make all of the work worth it for the musicians and pyro team alike.

For a full break-down of today’s events, you can visit Riverfront Park’s website here . To support MasterClass Big Band, you can visit their site here .

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