The Ultimate Guide To Addison’s Kaboom Town Fireworks Production July 3rd *Contest*

by Steven Doyle

They say everything is bigger and better in Texas, and never is that more true than when Addison, Texas hosts its legendary Addison Kaboom Town! fireworks display. While Addison is home to 19,000 residents, every July 3rd a half-million guests from across the nation come to celebrate America’s Independence in a style that is uniquely Addison. The celebration is city-wide, with a fantastic party in Addison Circle Park, watch parties at many of Addison’s 170+ restaurants and the incredible Addison Airport Air Show which can be seen from anywhere in town.  

The 30-minute long fireworks show is among the best in the nation, and is simulcast each year on 100.3 JACK- FM. Afterwards, while area traffic calms, attendees are invited to enjoy an after-party in Addison Circle Park featuring Emerald City on the Addison stage.

Now celebrating its 32nd anniversary, the event is a perennial part of every top national fireworks display list. The spectacular show was named the #2 fireworks display in the country, and is ranked as one of the top fireworks displays in the country by the American Pyrotechnics Association, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal and Travel + Leisure Magazine.

The event is Monday, July 3, 2017, 5:00pm to  midnight. From 5:00 – 9:00pm enjoy live entertainment on the main stage, games in Family Fun Zone, carnival and midway.  At 7:00pm catch the Addison Airport Airshow, and Fireworks go off at  9:30pm.  The After Party begins at 10:00pm.

Win a free $40 Gift Card to the Quarter Bar by making a comment below! Gift card will be mail directly to your home or office. Winner announced June 30th and chosen at random.

Want to avoid the crowds? Enjoy one of the many hosted parties at various Addison bars or restaurants. A few of our favorites:

Chamberlain’s Fish Market Grill: Enjoy a three course dinner with one of the best views in town. Dial 972.503.3474 to reserve. Chamberlain’s will set up chairs for their guests outside for an optimum view.

Ida Claire: Land your table at this Addison restaurant and enjoy live music from The Rebellion from 8pm – 11pm. Drink specials on the patio, including $4 hurricanes and $15 hurricane towers.

Lion and Crown: Located in Addison Circle and has an excellent beer selection served with a lively crowd. Great place to be after the fireworks.

The Quarter Bar: DJ Brent spins before fireworks – Bingo for Quarter gift cards. Josh Lee band performs after the fireworks.

While most will be noshing on hot dogs, fans of Chamberlain’s most likely will be served this

Arthur’s: A different angle than the rest, enjoy live music and dancing with Juan Angel. Party on the patio with burgers, dogs and steaks on the grill.

Courtyard Addison Quorum: A great place to stay for the evening and party during the festivities. Courtyard will be grilling brats and burgers and serving beer and margaritas. Games and fun are promised.

The Ivy Kitchen: Located a tad bit away from the fireworks, this is a hot spot for delicious dining before or after the action in the sky.

All the bars and restaurants along Belt Line in Addison will welcome you and your family. We recommend an early arrival as these spots fill quickly. 

Traffic Notes: The popularity of the Addison Kaboom Town! fireworks show may cause some traffic delays, specifically following the fireworks show. Book your hotel rooms now.  Addison hotels are quickly filling up for this annual event. Spectators are encouraged to spend the night in Addison at any of our hotels, stay in Addison Circle Park for the after party to avoid these delays, or remain at their favorite restaurant.

Those who choose to leave immediately after the fireworks show should understand that it could take 2-plus hours to get to their intended destination in the DFW Metroplex, and they are encouraged to travel as directed for a few miles beyond Addison’s borders in order to travel in their desired direction.

Event Notes: Concessions are available in the park serving food and beverages. Guests are encouraged to leave coolers and bags at home to expedite entry into the park. Those choosing to bring coolers must limit the size to no larger than 16”x20”x12”. Absolutely no alcohol can be brought into or out of Addison Circle Park. Beer and wine will be available for sale within the park.

Cost: FREE! – both the Addison Kaboom Town! watch party and after-party. Tickets are not required to attend the party in Addison Circle Park. Admission is first-come, first-served.

Want to speak the lingo of a pyrotechnics professional? Here are a few terms to brush up on:

Brocade – large number of spark trailing stars falling slowly in an umbrella pattern.

Cake – A cluster of small tubes, linked by fuse, that fire small aerial effects at a rapid pace. Tube diameters can range in size from ¼ inch to 4 inches, and can sometimes have over 1,000 shots. These are often used in large quantities as part of a show’s finale. The variety of effects within individual cakes is often such that they defy descriptive titles. Others are simply quantities of 2.5”-4” shells fused together in single-shot tubes.

Chrysanthemum – A spherical break of colored stars, similar to a peony, but with stars that leave a visible trail of sparks.

Crossette – A shell containing several large stars that travel a short distance before breaking apart into smaller stars with a loud crackling sound, creating a crisscrossing grid-like effect.

Dahlia–  Stars travel a longer-than-usual distance from the shell break before burning out, similar to peony shell but with fewer and larger stars, some shells are cylindrical rather than spherical to allow for larger stars.

Falling Leaves – Stars twinkle and flutter down.

Farfalle – Italian Butterfly.

Fish – Large inserts that propel themselves rapidly away from the shell burst, often looking like a fish swimming away.

Mine – A ground firework that expels stars and/or other garnitures into the sky; consists of a canister with the lift charge on the bottom with the effects placed on top, shot from mortar like a shell. Mines can project small reports, serpents, small shells, and stars. Mines are usually between 3 and 5 inches in diameter.

Multi-Break shell – Large shell containing several smaller shells of various sizes and types. The initial burst scatters the shells across the sky before they explode. When a shell contains smaller shells of the same size and type, the effect is usually referred to as “Thousands”.

Palm Tree–  Rising comet (trunk) that bursts into six large trailing stars (fronds) and can also have small reports (coconuts).

Pattern Shells – Aerial shells that look like maple leafs, rings, butterflies, Saturn, hearts, bows, smiley faces, snails, and more.

Peony – A spherical break of colored stars. Peony is the most commonly seen shell type.

Pistil – The centre sphere of stars in a spherical burst shell which contains an outer sphere of stars.

Crackling Rain – An effect created by large, slow-burning stars within a shell that leave a trail of glittering sparks behind and make a loud sizzling noise.

Roman Candle – A long tube containing several large stars which fire intermittently at a regular interval. These are commonly arranged in fan shapes or crisscrossing shapes at a closer proximity to the audience. Some larger roman candles contain small shells (bombettes) rather than stars.

Salute – Shell containing a large quantity of flash powder rather than stars, producing a quick flash followed by a large report. Salutes are commonly used in large quantities during finales to create intense noise and brightness. They are often cylindrical in shape to allow for a larger payload of flash powder but ball shapes are common as well.

Set Piece – These utilize a   number of colored lances (small flares) which all together form a pattern or  word. They typically burn for one minute.

Spider – Shell containing a fast burning tailed or charcoal star that is burst very hard so that the stars travel in a straight and flat trajectory before burning out. This appears in the sky as a series of radial lines much like the legs of a spider.

Strobe – Colored stars that flash on and off.

Tourbillion – A small, rotating device fired from candles, mines or shells which throws out sparks as it rotates eccentrically; it ascends and revolves at the same time.

Waterfall – Named for the shape of its break, this shell features heavy long-burning tailed stars that only travel a short distance from the shell burst before free-falling to the ground. Sometimes there is a glittering through the “waterfall”