Breckenridge Texan

According to local firework stand operators, fireworks sales are off to a brisk start for this year’s Fourth of July holiday celebration.

As of Wednesday afternoon, two stands were up and operating just outside the Breckenridge city limits. One was located on U.S. Highway 180 West and one on U.S. Highway 183 North. Three more stands were expected to be open by Friday afternoon.

Kristin Walling, who owns and operates the Swan Fireworks stand located on the north side of U.S. Highway 180 West just past Walmart, said she’s already sold more in the first couple of days since she’s been open than she normally sells in the first week each year.

Walling, a 2002 Breckenridge High School graduate, who is a Physical Therapist who now lives in Georgia with her husband, has been running the stand for many years. She said she comes home to visit her parents and operates the stand while she’s here.

She said most of her customers so far have been in the 18 to 30 age group and one of the most popular selling items has been the Excalibur. Her fireworks stand is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to midnight on weekends, she said. Then on July 3 and 4 she will be open 9 a.m. to midnight.

Cammy Pierce, who along with Danielle Spooner, were running a stand located on the west side of U.S. Highway 183 North, just past West Seventh Street, said they have also been busy since they opened on Monday.

She said customers are buying the smaller items right now, but as they get closer to the Fourth of July they will start buying the bigger items. She said customers seem to be excited about being able to shoot off fireworks this year and several customers have stopped by to see what kind of fireworks they have in stock so they can buy them later.

When customers Randy Drake and Kelly Walker stopped by her stand on Wednesday afternoon they had lots of questions about what kind of fireworks she had in stock and if she had some of their favorites from last year.

Pierce gave them detailed descriptions of what each of the fireworks will do when they are fired off and showed them videos on her cell phone of what some of them looked like when they are discharged.

“The girls like the fountains, and the boys like the boom,” she said.

Pierce said they will be operating two fireworks stands in the area this year, including the one she was at Wednesday, on U.S. Highway 183, and another one on U.S. Highway 180 East next to Mike’s Alignment and Brakes. She said they expect to open the stand on U.S Highway 180 by Thursday morning.

Both of their fireworks stands will be open from 8 a.m. until there are no more customers at night, she said, or from about 8 a.m. to midnight each day.

Right across the street, just a few feet north on the other side of U.S. Highway 183 North, is the TNT Firework Stand, which is expected to be open by Thursday morning.

Trance Rosenquist, a tennis coach at Abilene Cooper High School was hard at work mowing grass and getting the TNT stand ready to open on Wednesday afternoon.

Rosenquist, who said he has family in Breckenridge area, said he will be operating the stand and was expecting to have the fireworks delivered on Wednesday evening and be open by Thursday morning.

He said his stand will be open around 9 or 10 a.m. each morning and stay open until customers quit coming or at midnight.

Also on Wednesday afternoon, fireworks stand owner Joe Cauble was getting his stand put in place and cleaned up at the intersection of U.S. Highway 180 West and FM 2231 at the flashing yellow light. He said he expects have his fireworks in stock and be open at 1 p.m. Friday.

He said he will then be open every day from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. and from 8 a.m. to midnight on July 3 and 4.

Although Stephens County Commissioners reinstated the burn ban on Monday, the ban does not restrict the sale or use of fireworks. Fireworks may be sold and used on privately owned property in Stephens County, outside the city limits of Breckenridge. By city ordinance, it is illegal for anyone to “sell, give away, or otherwise dispose of, or to shoot or discharge any squib, firecracker, torpedo, Roman candle, skyrocket or other thing containing powder or other explosive matter, or any fireball” within the Breckenridge city limits.

Kristin Walling shows off one of her best sellers, the Excalibur Artillery Shells kit, at her fireworks stand located on U.S. Highway 180 East. She said fireworks sales have been good since she opened a few days ago. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

Cutline, top photo: Cammy Pierce (center) waits on customers Kelly Walker (center) and Randy Drake (right) a fireworks stand located at U.S. Highway 183 North Wednesday afternoon. Danielle Spooner is in the back. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

Story by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan