The year without a lake show

Tuesday night, the Thermopolis Town Council approved a request to have a specially designated area for setting off fireworks on Independence Day. Though it happens every year, I’m always surprised at how quickly the holiday gets here.

Of course in my Nebraska hometown this is typically the time of year when one of two things is happening — I’m being driven nuts by the amount of bangs, pops and whizzes going off long into the night, or — more likely — I’m getting together with some friends to plan shows or doing fireworks experiments that would, at the very least, nominate us for Darwin awards.

Regardless of how the festivities play out, the fireworks season in Alliance always culminates in one final “hurrah” at a local landmark, Laing Lake.

While I’ll surely be missing the lake show this year, Thermopolis has an advantage over Alliance and the majority of western Nebraska — elevation. I come from some seriously flat country, which is great for ground shows but not so much the aerial. So, this year, I’m waiting with anticipation for my first Thermop show from the top of T Hill. I’m sure it will add to my growing list of wonders I’ve found since my move here three months ago.

Adding to the party this year is the fireworks display at Hot Springs State Park in celebration of the Swinging Bridge’s 100th anniversary. Also, there's the space near the skate park for people to set off their personal pyrotechnic caches.

With everything going on, I think my first Thermopolis Fourth will certainly rival those from Alliance. I encourage everyone to go out and have some fun, but also be smart and safe. The sun has dried out the grass enough to make it highly flammable. Use caution when setting off fireworks to avoid injuries, and be sure to keep ready sources of water — buckets or hoses — available to put out any fires.