Behind the Scenes: Fireworks at Summer Thunder 2024

TIPTON, Pa. (WTAJ) — Almost everyone expects to see fireworks on the Fourth of July. But have you ever wondered what it takes to get the fireworks ready for Summer Thunder at DelGrosso’s Park and Laguna Splash ?

WTAJ went behind the scenes and met the team responsible for the fireworks spectacular.

“It’s all about tradition. You know, the family looks at this, the Summer Thunder as a huge tradition that thousands of people love to come to each and every year. We always put on a fabulous free show for the public. And this year, it should be nothing different than as spectacular as always,” said Joe DelGrosso, CEO of DelGrosso Foods and Summer Thunder Coordinator.

The fireworks are designed by Arthur Rozzi Pyrotechnics from Cincinnati, Ohio. Members of the Rozzi family have been designing firework shows for DelGrosso’s Park for more than 50 years.

“Before I even get here, the DelGrosso’s they keep all the equipment here since we do it every year. They just store it and they have a place to store it, so they pull all the equipment out. I give them a list of what we need and how the show is going to be. And then they set it all up and we get started. And then once all the equipment set up, we come here and today and I come up with the truck with the fireworks, and we just start putting it all in,” said John Rozzi, Designer and Producer of Summer Thunder’s fireworks.

It sounds easy, but there’s much more to it.

“It takes a lot of work because every every fire, every item, the shell has its own mortar. So we have lots of mortars to put out,” Rozzi said.

There are also different areas where the fireworks are stationed. Over 2,500 shells will light up the night sky in Tipton during the 25-minute pyro-musical spectacular.

But exactly how many fireworks?

“It’s like 10, 15,000, something like that. There’s a lot of you know, a lot of shots,” Rozzi said.

Joe DelGrosso said that working with the Rozzi family is part of what makes the fireworks show so special.

“His choreography is something that you’ll see that’s very unique in the fact that he knows when he puts a show up in the air and he has a note of music that’s in the air, it’s going to match. And I don’t think everybody has that talent. But growing up in the industry, knowing what the shells look like before they even go out, the gun, it’s all the mortar on. I saw it. It’s just a knack that he has,” DelGrosso stated when asked about Rozzi.

Once everything is set up, it’s time to plug it in and make sure it works.

“It’s just like a creative thing. We have firework people. We have some software now that people love doing that. You can just sit down there and visually animate. It’s animation, you know, you can just play with things and create, do whatever you want, you know. And that, that’s kind of the fun part because you sit down and do it and then you have to put it all together, make sure it works that way, and hopefully it will look as good as you, you know, as it looked on the screen,” Rozzi said.

Every firework is set off to a musical beat, and then, it’s time to watch the magic.

“It’s just so gratifying, the fact that we can put on a show like this in a small town like Tipton, Pennsylvania because really we’re probably one of the bigger shows in the state year in and year out,” DelGrosso said.

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There will be a musical pre-show starting at 9 p.m., with the fireworks set to go off at 10 p.m.

WTAJ will be livestreaming the show or you can attend the event and tune into 98.1FM to hear the soundtrack.

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