Behind the Scenes of Smithville’s Fourth of July Fireworks Show

By Kristen Meriwether, Publisher

As the sun sets on July 4 each year, anticipation for the fireworks show builds. Families grab blankets or lawn chairs and claim a spot to watch the colorful display light up the sky.

For the crew setting up and firing the fireworks, it’s a different experience. Smithville Texas News joined the team behind this year’s Fourth of July Celebration fireworks, provided by state Rep. Stan Gerdes and American Fireworks.

Like a concert setlist, a fireworks show is meticulously planned. This year, Smithville was fortunate to have Chester Davis, former owner of American Fireworks and a consultant for TNT Fireworks, design the display.

“My warehouse is in Bastrop, so this community [Smithville] is important to me. It’s always been important,” Davis said. “I’ll have friends from Bastrop watching tonight, so it’s going to be a fun show.”

Davis, with 57 years in the business, has orchestrated shows for Willie Nelson, Michael Jackson, Waylon Jennings and multiple Texas governors, among others.

Watch Davis explain how he set up Smithville’s Fourth of July Celebration 2025:

The Smithville show was staged on a 20-foot trailer, with each firework screwed into boards and wired to four electric boxes. One-hundred-foot cables connected each box to the firing box.

Listen to Claude Hoffman, who lent his trailer for the event and served as the official shooter, explain how the firing box works:

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Once cables are connected, the team conducts a continuity test. Each firework has a corresponding light; if one doesn’t illuminate, the crew checks the wiring on the trailer.

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When all lights are green, the crew removes foil and paper tops from most firework boxes to prevent fires on the trailer, which could trigger premature explosions or an entire show at once.

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About 15 minutes before the show, the plastic tarp is removed.

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The team rechecks continuity, inserts earplugs, sets the firing box key to “arm” and, at 9 p.m., launches “get your attention” fireworks to signal the start.

During the show, the shooter controls the pace, relying on a counter for updates on the number of fireworks fired and the show’s duration. Friday’s goal was 48 boxes in 15 minutes; the show ran just over 17 minutes.

After the finale, the crew shares quick high-fives and handshakes before rushing to the trailer to extinguish any fires. The Smithville Volunteer Fire Department was on hand, using trucks to douse embers.

Thanks to recent rain, the grass was lush, and only a few embers needed attention.

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By the time the crew finished, most traffic had cleared out.