Boulder fireworks show gets fastidious focus at Folsom Field

Most people on the Fourth of July see a potpourri of colors sweep across the night sky with a bang and crackle, as the strains of patriotic and popular music fill the air.

Gary Caimano sees a wide and varied "cast of characters" in all of his fireworks shows, each explosion -- be it a willow, brocade, plume, comet or chrysanthemum -- playing a distinct and defined role as part of a carefully calibrated display of sight and sound.

"Each shell has its own personality and you have to know what they do," said Caimano, choreographer for Western Enterprises, the company that has put on the Fourth of July fireworks extravaganza at Folsom Field in Boulder for decades. "I set up an image from ground zero to 250 feet in the air. You gotta take their breath away several times a show."

And wowing people, not just at Folsom Field but in cities and towns across five western states, is just what Caimano and Oklahoma-based Western Enterprises has been doing for years.

"I compare this very much to writing a literary essay," said Caimano, a former professor of literature, who fastidiously scores the Folsom show to peg the smallest explosion to the subtlest change in music. "I dream shells in my head."

This year, Caimano has dreamed up a new pastel scheme for the 1,700 shells he'll blow up over the University of Colorado's football stadium next weekend. Lime green, hot pink, aqua and mauve will reflect in the eyes of the 25,000 or so people expected to attend the show. The theme of this year's Ralphie's Independence Day Blast is "Tribute to America" and the show will focus on honoring the country's servicemen and women.

"The challenge in Boulder is that it's a very discriminating audience," Caimano

said. "They are astute and they know what they are looking for. They want to see a show that constantly moves, where nothing is stagnant."

Mary Ann Mahoney, executive director of the Boulder Convention and Visitors Bureau, said Western Enterprises has done such a good job -- in both ensuring safety and offering fresh themes and features every year -- that it was chosen over a local company that recently bid on putting on the Folsom Field show.

"They know our community takes great pride in this," she said.

Planning begins early

The inception for Boulder's Fourth of July fireworks display comes a full year before the show explodes over Folsom Field on Independence Day. That's when Western Enterprises puts in orders for the fireworks it buys from China.

But Caimano notes that his company makes about half of the fireworks it uses, ensuring a custom-made feel that gives Western Enterprises more control over every aspect of its shows. The manufacturing process, which is done in Oklahoma, takes about six to eight months.

Around the start of the year, the company sends the soundtrack for that summer's show to the client, asking for input and approval.

"Boulder has a lot of communication, and we go back and forth a lot," said Steve Linn, Western Enterprises' music producer and pyrotechnician, who arranged the Boulder show's soundtrack at the company's studio in Oklahoma. "It's one of our better shows in that area. It's a real personal show."

Linn said Boulder's show next weekend will feature music from Chicago, the Wallflowers, and Welsh singer Katherine Jenkins, in addition to traditional tracks like "God Bless America" and Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA."

Then he hands over the soundtrack to Caimano, who chooses from an arsenal of shells and special effects to punctuate the music in the most effective and dazzling way.

"The music dictates everything in our business," Caimano said.

Caimano spends about 40 hours scoring the soundtrack for the Folsom Field show -- spending about two hours plotting out every minute of the 20-minute program. His choice of shells -- which range from comet-like balls of fire to gentle willow-like blasts with tendrils cascading slowly downward -- is calculated to evoke powerful reactions from the audience.

He must also be aware of the backdrop, safety considerations and the dimensions of the venue. At Folsom, Caimano is restricted to using 4-inch diameter shells, which shoot 400 feet into the air, and 3-inch diameter shells, which go up about 300 feet.

The shells are launched from mortar tubes lined up in mortar boxes packed with sand on the back of a flatbed truck, which sits in a parking lot outside the stadium. A Western Enterprises technician wearing fire protection gear -- and stationed about 200 feet away from the firing zone -- hits buttons on a switch box in the order dictated by the show's script, sending a fuse-lighting signal to the appropriate shell.

In all, this year's show will feature 1,700 individual shells and 16 cakes, which fire multiple shells into the air. In all, Caimano said the audience will get to enjoy about 2,400 explosions and special effects.

Boulder Fire Marshal Dave Lowrey, who signs off on Western Enterprises' permit each year, said he has never had a concern with the company's approach to safety. Both his department and the fireworks crew station spotters on top of and all around the stadium to look for hot debris or errant shots.

"Typically, they go a little above and beyond what's required," he said.

Nominal tax dollars used

The fireworks show at Folsom Field is the result of a partnership between the city, the CU athletic department and Wright-Kingdom Real Estate, which kicks in about $40,000 to cover operational costs.

Boulder provides around $6,000 worth of in-kind contributions, mainly in the form of police and fire department services, said Jen Korbelik, who serves as a liaison between the city and the university.

CU's athletic department, Korbelik said, contributes $40,000 in in-kind services, including use of the stadium and providing security for the venue.

"It's something that has been a tradition for years and I hope it continues to be," she said.

Caimano said maintaining that tradition will depend on whether he can keep the crowd intrigued and wanting more into the foreseeable future. For that, he's got one simple tip.

"Treat the show like it's your only one," he said.

Contact Camera Staff Writer John Aguilar at 303-473-1389 or aguilarj@dailycamera.com.