‘This is an awesome show!’ Over 18,500 fireworks will light up the sky during 31st Annual Melaleuca Freedom Celebration
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IDAHO FALLS — Final preparations are underway for over 18,000 fireworks to shoot into the eastern Idaho sky Thursday night during the largest fireworks show west of the Mississippi River.
The 31st Annual Melaleuca Freedom Celebration is expected to draw more than 200,000 spectators to Snake River Landing on July 4 and Melaleuca Executive Chairman Frank VanderSloot says this year, the show will be better than ever.
“We will have 18,505 shells in the air in 31 minutes. We make it a little bigger every year. This is an awesome show and it’s a tribute to the men and women who gave us our freedom,” VanderSloot tells EastIdahoNews.com.
The fireworks are synchronized shell for shell and note for note with a patriotic soundtrack consisting of popular and symphonic music, historic audio clips and narration. It is broadcast live on Classy 97.3 KLCE. At Snake River Landing, spectators will hear the soundtrack through 100 wireless speakers that Melaleuca provides for this event.
“The Melaleuca Freedom Celebration is more than just entertainment on the Fourth of July,” VanderSloot says. “The combination of fireworks, music and message provides magical moments of reflection and an opportunity to re-pledge allegiance to the flag that represents our nation. On a different level, it’s a heartfelt, unifying event for the community — but more importantly, it’s a tribute of gratitude to America’s heroes.”
This year’s fireworks will launch across five main zones spanning hundreds of feet across an elevated launch pad at Snake River Landing — the total expanse being wider than two football fields. A new layout incorporates additional firing zones and more “V” pattern racks that create an even wider, deeper and intense theater across the sky.
Watch our entire interview with VanderSloot in the video player above.