BUTTE — People in Butte watching this year’s Third of July fireworks display will, for the first time, get to see it and hear it synced up to music because the crew says this show is more than just about fireworks, it’s a work of art.
“It’s like painting the sky. It’s a special type of artwork. It’s a canvas in the sky and we’re painting it,” said crew member Rachel Bolduc.
The crew with Big Sky Fireworks out of Helena has spent the past few days setting up fireworks at the loft on Big Butte. This year’s show will have more than 1,000 fireworks. What makes this display different is it will be synchronized to music.
“You know, it’s down to the 100th of a second is what we do. I’ve been scripting this since January. Just to get it 20 minutes and I have over 100 hours in scripting the show,” said Lead Operator Raven Ross Anderson.
To hear the music people can download the app Pyrocast on their smart phone and then enter the code 1LFT.
“It’s new this year, completely new. We’ll be one of the first people to test it,” said Anderson.
Raven said he’s been into fireworks since he was a little kid when his family ran a fireworks stand in Dillon.
“That’s why I’ve always liked the Fourth when I was a little kid. You see the fireworks go off and you smile and, you know, I want to give that to other people too, to other kids,” he said.
The crew enjoys the camaraderie of working to put the show together. They say though it takes plenty of work, it doesn’t feel like work.
“Oh, I look forward to it every year. Every year! So, it’s definitely my vacation, it’s a way for me to escape working my other jobs,” said Bolduc.
You can watch the fireworks live on KXLF and KBZK right after the 10 PM News on Wednesday, July 3. The show will also be available for on-demand viewing afterward on our website.
