Fourth of July fireworks shows canceled or delayed over worker shortage, supply chain issues

The economy has put a damper on many American’s cities Fourth of July fireworks shows as the industry struggles with a shortage of manpower and materials.

A nationwide shortage of pyrotechnicians, the professionals qualified to safely run fireworks shows, meant some cities have reschedule their celebrations to accommodate such as College Park, Maryland as well as Fairfax, Virginia and Ottawa Kansas. In Phoenix, Arizona, three fireworks shows were cancelled. 

“Unfortunately, much like many other municipalities, Phoenix has been affected by the ongoing supply chain issues. The city's contractor was unable to secure fireworks for the events," the city’s Parks and Recreation Department told Voice of America.

Other cities have canceled their shows outright.

“The firework industry was completely crippled in 2020" and had lost 90% of its revenues, American Pyrotechnic Association’s executive director Julie Heckman told NPR.

She warned it may take some time for the industry to bounce back as people are able to go out and celebrate more.

This is little consolation to city officials facing disgruntled residents.

Mayor Jody Carney of Plain City, Ohio, said her fireworks vendor’s last-minute cancellation due to lack of available staff was “like a punch to the gut.”

“Emotions are running high,” Mayor Jody Carney of Plain City, Ohio, told CBS 10 WBNS, noting that the city had been planning since record turnout at last year’s show.

Meanwhile, the fireworks industry is facing steep shipping prices due to snarled supply chains and the high price of gas, as most professional-grade fireworks are manufactured in China.

“Honestly it costs, in a lot of cases, more to ship the goods here than it does to buy the goods,” Steve House, president of the National Fireworks Association, told PBS News Hour.

“Where it used to be that freight was a percentage or a fraction of the cost of the item, now it’s half of the cost of the item, or more,” he added.

In spring, the American Pyrotechnics Association warned the industry to brace for a “challenging season because inflation had raised prices on every input, from supplies and raw materials to transportation and labor.

“Shipping costs have risen dramatically since 2019 from $8,000-$10,000 per shipping container to approximately $45,000 per container which impacts the overall cost of the product by roughly 50%,” they cautioned in a statement.

Some saw a silver lining amidst the compromises.

“I guess on the bright side, we’re celebrating July fourth for two days,” said Fairfax director of parks and recreation Cathy Salgado, who moved their show to July 5th.