Fourth of July storms put early end to Lincoln firework tent sales

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Firework tents in Lincoln were set to stay open until 11 p.m. on Tuesday, but Mother Nature had other plans.

With storms rolling through and packing a punch with strong winds and heavy rain, some tents closed up shop early.

Sales were already on a slower pace this year.

“It’s definitely been a hotter year, so that’s a key factor in who’s going to be outside, how much they want to spend,” said Aaron Williams, owner of Black Dragon Fireworks. “Even with the kids, they don’t want to stand outside the entire time.”

Williams has been in the business for over 14 years and said he’s seen these types of slowdowns before.

“Past couple years, there were some cooler years where business was just rolling,” he said. “It was hit and miss this season, but we’re finishing very strong.”

Timing was also not on the side of most wholesale and retail firework tents this year.

Outside of Lincoln, sales started on June 25, a Sunday.

That left only one full weekend for sales before the Fourth of July instead of two.

“COVID year was crazy because everybody had nothing to do and they were stuck inside, so blowing up fireworks was the thing to do,” said Heather Bock of Ka-Boomers Fireworks. “This year, it’s been a little bit slower, but it’s still steady, so it makes it worth it.”

As forecasts called for rain, people rushed to buy as many fireworks as possible before the rain came.

By Tuesday afternoon, waves of customers were flowing.

“We’ve been pretty steady all day having people come in,” said Carter Hodge of Wild Willy’s Fireworks. “So that’s good.”

At some points, items were flying off the shelves, even though it had been an overall slow year.

“The weekend the sales were just unreal, just flowing. And then, yesterday and today, we can’t keep enough on the shelves,” Williams said. “I think a lot of people aren’t sure if it’s going to rain or not, said ‘What the heck?’ came out and just started loading up.”

They say bigger is better for fireworks fans, but by Tuesday night, large storm clouds were the bigger force, threatening from a distance.

Soon, tents were seen closing up shop, putting an early end to the season.