Multi-sensory show blows all other fireworks displays out of the water

After rain caused Saturday night’s fireworks display to be canceled, Scouts and Scouters had been intentionally kept in the dark about when — or whether — the show would be rescheduled.

And then: boom! Zambelli Fireworks and jamboree leaders lit up the sky Sunday night, surprising Scouts, Scouters and Venturers who enjoyed the visual and auditory show right from the comfort of their campsite homes.

It happened with a 25-minute display that may have changed the fireworks game forever. Let me explain.

Yes, the visuals were sensational. I’m talking fireworks bigger than any you’ve seen before and lights of all colors that danced across the sky in fascinating, unique ways that seemed to defy gravity at times.

In other words, this was no community Fourth of July show.

But equally outstanding was the soundtrack, which jamboree troops and crews could hear through the public-address speakers scattered throughout the Summit.

With apologies to Lee Greenwood, a fireworks display designed for teenagers probably shouldn’t contain the 29-year-old song “God Bless the USA.” No, last night’s show had recent chart-toppers from bands today’s teens actually like, including Imagine Dragons, Awolnation, Psy, Ellie Goulding and Swedish House Mafia.

But don’t fret, patriotic Scouters. The show ended in grand fashion with an appropriately over-the-top rendition of the “Star-Spangled Banner” by Sandi Patty. It was the perfect way to slow things down and let Scouts reflect on their jamboree experience so far.

When the show ended, Scouts’ cheers echoed throughout camp. Even though I was standing hundreds of yards from the nearest camp during the fireworks, I could hear Scouts still cheering wildly for two or three minutes after the last boom. What a moment.

Related story from Popular Mechanics: How Fireworks work


Photo courtesy CJ Nusbaum


About Bryan Wendell 3282 Articles
Bryan Wendell, an Eagle Scout, is the founder of Bryan on Scouting and a contributing writer.