Meet the conductor of Shady Brook Farm's pyromusical

Scott Hopkins is the Santa Claus of summer , bringing joy to thousands of people who watch his company's fireworks shows across the East Coast.

Why it matters: Fourth of July extravaganzas are getting bigger and more sophisticated, requiring pyrotechnicians like Hopkins to meticulously plan the shows' productions years before any fireworks crackle in the sky.

Driving the news: Hopkins of Celebration Fireworks in Slatington is putting on a massive fireworks show at Shady Brook Farm on Saturday.

• More than 4,000 people are expected to attend the UnWINEd event in Yardley, says Eve Moody, part of the farm's special events staff.

The big picture: The show and concert is one of several fireworks displays taking place across the region this week.

• Philly has one of the region's largest fireworks shows Thursday on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, a cap to the Wawa Welcome America festival that includes a free concert from Ne-Yo and Kesha.

Zoom in: Hopkins learned some of his trade from attending huge fireworks shows in Montreal as a kid and tells Axios that his company does about 250 annual shows.

• The last couple weeks before the Fourth of July is their busiest time of the year. They'll do about 70 shows — costing $10,000-$50,000 — in 12 days. Their biggest displays are in Ocean City, Maryland.

The intrigue: Pyromusicals — choreographed fireworks displays set to a musical score — like the one in Yardley are in demand these days, Hopkins says.

• The show lasts about 13 minutes but requires an intricate setup that takes crews about 10-12 hours.

How it works: Hopkins says they'll explode 800-1,000 fireworks during the UnWINEd show — many fired from what's known as multi-shot cakes, or tubes of pyrotechnics requiring only a single ignition.

• Crew members use an electronic system to fire from about 40-50 positions at different points during the show — all controlled remotely from a safe distance.

Between the lines: Choreography isn't the only element that requires ample planning. Securing supply for the events is getting trickier for businesses like Hopkins', which import from China.

• China began tightening fireworks regulations years ago partly to cut down on pollution. The bans hit makers hardest, with some going out of business and pinching the fireworks supply chain.
• Hopkins says his wait time for large shipments, like the one required for the Shady Brook Farm show this weekend, has tripled from about six months to 18-20 months.

What's ahead: Before the smoke even starts, Hopkins is already hard at work preparing for 2026. His fireworks order is due in a few weeks.

If you go: Tickets : $20 online and $25 at the gate. Kids under 2 are free.