An organized playlist, a couple thousand fireworks shells and nearly 50 grand later – and boom – you’ve got a Fourth of July festival.

But it’s not as easy as it sounds.

Addison’s Kaboom Town, which has one of the biggest fireworks displays in North Texas, is rated one of the top places to watch fireworks by the American Pyrotechnics Association.

Town officials are expecting about 350,000 people within Addison’s 4.5 square miles to watch the 24th annual pyrotechnics display, which will be choreographed with a live simulcast on KJKK-FM (100.3). That’s not to mention the Cavanaugh Flight Museum Warbird Flyover, which will be narrated on KRLD-AM (1080), the wing walks and skydivers – all for a price tag of about $52,000, said Barbara Kovacevich, Addison’s special events administrator.

Irving’s 25th year of Fourth festivities will kick off with the Independence Day Parade leading up to Irving’s Firecracker Fourth – which will include live bands and a symphony performance – a joint effort between the city and the Irving Symphony Orchestra.

In addition, various groups including Cub Scouts, cheerleaders, musical groups and even a group from Sonic Drive In worked to make Irving’s 110-float parade a success, said Jacqueline Madden, Irving’s special events coordinator.

Although this is only the 12th year for The Colony’s Liberty By The Lake celebration, the city is pulling out all the stops. The Colony’s Fourth of July will begin with a 5K- and 1-mile run, followed by the Independence Day Parade and will conclude with Liberty By The Lake – with live music, jet ski races and the fireworks blast-off.

“What makes it unique is its location right on the lake – on Lake Lewisville,” said David Swain, The Colony’s recreation manager with parks and recreation. “All you can see is boats – right underneath the fireworks as they’re being shot off.”

The strategy

“Planning is a year-round process,” Kovacevich said. “There’s always 1,000 details that need to come together.”

It starts around the first of the year. Addison begins choosing music for the fireworks display in January, which the town then sends to Atlas Enterprises – the company that choreographs the music and fireworks, calculates the launches and sets up the show. Oh, and the firecrackers are brought in from China.

Swain said that’s about the time The Colony starts going out for bids. The Colony submits bids about every four years to find a vender to put on the show, Swain said. Since 2002, the city has been using Western Enterprises. Irving also uses the Oklahoma-based company.

In April, Madden said, the city of Irving starts advertising – distributing July 4 applications, sending out nearly 5,000 flyers and stretching a banner across Second Street.

The day of   

“The morning of the project, it’s all loaded up and the pods are taken out to the runway,” said Royce Trout, president of Atlas Enterprises. “The show itself is shot by computers. You’re a distance away from the fireworks area, which minimize risk out there.”

But there are other risk factors, Madden said.

“Our biggest concern is the safety of spectators [during the parade],” she said, “that when candy is thrown, the children don’t run too close to the floats.”

Although it’s not a safety issue, Kovacevich said the traffic exit plan is a concern, which is why Addison will have free events such as a live band and a movie to give people something to do while the traffic clears.

Other than that, there’s just the cleanup.

Damage control

Swain said cleanup isn’t too bad. The workers stick around at the end of the night to tidy things up and the company that shoots the fireworks cleans up from the show, Swain said. Oh, and all that ash just goes into water, he added.

But, in Addison, a lot of debris flows down the runway, Trout said.

“The town brings all of the street cleaners out to go down the runway,” he said. “And a group of volunteers, who have huge spotlights, walk and pick up debris. It’s a pretty involved process.”

Tracy Boyd, president of Irving Symphony Orchestra, said Irving’s event planner contracts a cleaning crew.

But it’s not long before the entire process starts all over again, Boyd said.

“Immediately after,” he said, “that’s when we start planning next year.”

Lindsey Bever is a reporter with neighborsgo and can be reached at 972-436-5551 ext. 3004 or via e-mail at lbever@neighborsgo.com. If you have a story, photo or video you'd like to share, please post it directly on neighborsgo.com.