Somewhere between 75,000 and 100, 000 people will visit the South Shore of Lake Tahoe to celebrate our nation’s Independence Day with Lake of the Sky Fireworks, the largest synchronized fireworks display west of the Mississippi. Since it is crowded, a good plan is to stake out your piece of beach by late afternoon and have a picnic with family and friends. Watch the alpenglow illuminate the ridges as the sun slips behind the Sierra and then enjoy the show! This year, the show will be bathed in celestial light from a full moon and bright planets Venus and Jupiter; a spectacle that will stir your soul.

The magnitude, quality and beauty of our show is a reflection of Pyro-Spectacular’s commitment to excellence. The South Shore has been working with Pyro since the show began 30 years ago and we are proud to share the same company that shot the 100th and 125th anniversaries of the Statue of Liberty, many Super Bowls, Olympic Opening Ceremonies, Macy’s Parades and the 50th Anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge.

We work with Pyro for months to finalize all the details. The music and fireworks are synchronized by a computer program that triggers the firing of the displays with the music. The show is shot from three barges anchored near the Stateline area of the lake. Loading the barges with more than 3500 shells is executed by hand. The days after the show are spent on clean-up by a specially outfitted boat to recover surface flotsam and jetsam, and divers to collect debris from the lake bottom. Interestingly, the fireworks are designed to oxidize and much of the debris collected has fallen off private boats or washed off a beach.

Several things run through my mind as I anticipate this year’s show. Will the show hold the attention of my eight year old son? Will he feel the fireworks in some special way that he will carry through his years? I know, too, that the bursts of fireworks in the sky are the cousins of munitions. I think of the brave men and women who fought, struggled, and died to form and to preserve our country, our way of life, and how grateful I am for their sacrifice. I wonder how many Americans know or care that Frances Scott Key, an American lawyer negotiating the release of American prisoners during a war with Great Britain in September 1814 and watched the fireworks of battle from a British ship in Baltimore Bay and noted, “the rocket’s red glare, bombs bursting in air…..” giving birth to the lyrics of our National Anthem…..enjoy your 4th of July.

Please travel safely - Mike Frye