Some local haunters have joined forces with Black Cat Fireworks to bring you some 4th of July thrills at Pyro City Fireworks in Clarksville, Indiana!
UPDATE: Here are the Pyro City/Black Cat Louisville tent locations:
1. Shepherdsville Pawn II in Hillview (formerly Sonny Bishop Car Sales): 191 Wilma. Look for the big BLACK CAT Tent.
2. CC Powersports: 327 Centre Drive in Brooks. Right next door to Tumbleweed (make sure you pass the first tent and come all the way down to the end).
3. Metro Auto Spa: 4060 Dixie Hwy in Radcliff.
4. Lee’s Quick Stop (formerly Pop Shop): 12625 Dixie Hwy. (This tent is fountain products only because it is in Jefferson County.)
5. Liquor Palace: 3439 Taylor Blvd. (This tent is also fountain products only because it is in Jefferson County.)
Happy Independence Day weekend, my River City fiends! It’s your favorite patriotic spook, the Phantom of the Ville! If there is one thing I’ve learned over the first three years that I’ve been writing this column, it’s that haunters love to blow stuff up almost as much as they love scaring the pants off of patrons during the haunt season. There must be some part of the brain in all haunters that releases the same pleasure endorphins when they light either jack-o-lanterns or 500 gram fireworks.
There are quite a few local haunters in the July 4th “KABOOM” business.
Ever since I was a kid I’ve known that if you want to get the “good stuff,” anything other than sparklers and cherry bombs, you must cross the river into Indiana. Louisville hosts some of the biggest fireworks spectacles in the country, but if you want to put on a show in your own backyard, you need to go see the pyromaniacs at Pyro City Fireworks (www.pyrocityfireworks.com) at 2227 Koetter Drive in Clarksville, IN 47129 (812)285-1656.
Pyro City Fireworks, which is part of a chain of fireworks retailers owned by the legendary Black Cat Fireworks, is run by a ghostly trio of local haunt owners who all love a good explosion as much as film director Michael Bay. Jason Weber and Jeff Howlett, co-owners and operators of Nightmare Forest, and Mike Kimzey, co-owner and operator of Danger Run, have joined forces to give fireworks fans the most bang for their buck this year.
“Black Cat makes the best fireworks in the business,” says Mike Kimzey, “and they also own a number of other brands that they’re in the process of bringing together under one tent. Next year, everything we stock will be on the Black Cat label. Our direct relationship with Black Cat allows us to give the customer the best price they’re going to find anywhere in the region.”
The big, new product that Black Cat is unveiling this season is called the Diablo, which contains 24 shells that they claim will “send the devil back where he belongs.” Pyro City is selling the Diablo for $79.99 apiece, while the nearest competitor is selling the equivalent in 2-packs for $199, so you can save $40 on the very same package from these seasonal Spookmasters.
One of the biggest assortment packages they’re selling this season is called the Godfather, which is an entire fireworks show in a box. It normally retails for $900, but Pyro City is selling it for $499. You can also win one for FREE! All you have to do is come in and sign up for a chance to win.
Also, they’re giving away lots of extra fireworks depending on how much you intend to purchase. For example, if you bought the Godfather, you would also get one free 500 gram finale cake, a fireworks fiesta kit and a Black Cat t-shirt. FREE extra fireworks start at only $100 spent in store. Check the store for further details.
In recent years, I’ve noticed the connection between the Halloween business and the fireworks business has continued to get stronger. Fireworks packaging and labeling is splattered with zombies, demons, devils, haunted houses and spectral fiends. As I went up and down the aisles, I took a few pictures of some of the monstrous, carnival-style art adorning the packaging of colorful artillery.
Of course, if you want sparklers for the kids, Pyro City has all that kind of stuff too. You can find rockets with parachutes, black snakes and one of my childhood favorites, pull string smoke bomb grenades! How I loved smoke bomb grenades!
No matter how big or small of a fireworks show you plan to put on this weekend, whether it’s just a few sparklers or Thunder Over My Backyard, please be safe and follow the safety rules printed on the packaging. The Spookmasters at Pyro City want all of you to have a safe and fun Independence Day so they can scare you to death in October.
