Breckenridge Texan

By Tony Pilkington and Carla McKeown/Breckenridge Texan

For Kristin Walling, working in a fireworks stand is something she’s been doing since she was 5 years old. Now, she using the experience of owning and operating her own stand to teach her kids, who are helping her run the stand this year, about working with money and running a business.

Kristin Walling teaches her kids the business side of running a fireworks stand at Swan Fireworks, which she started in 2015. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

She started the Swan Fireworks stand, which is located on the north side of U.S. Highway 180 West just past Walmart, in 2015. She said so far this year sales have been pretty typical.

For the Independence Day holiday, fireworks can be sold in Texas from June 24 until midnight on July 4. Walling said her stand, which is built out of an old oil tank and painted like a Texas flag, is open every day from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and until midnight on the weekends.

There are a couple of other fireworks stands in the county, as well.

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.

Fireworks Shows

In addition to enjoying their own fireworks, community members can attend several local and area fireworks shows.

Salute in the Salt Flats Fireworks Show

On Independence Day, Thursday, July 4, the eighth annual Salute in the Salt Flats fireworks show and fundraiser held near Canyon Road Barn & Grill is scheduled to take place.

The free fireworks show is hosted by the Rail A Ranch, Canyon Road, and volunteers who work to put it all together.

The event is scheduled to start around dusk on Thursday, July 4. The National Anthem will be sung by Shonda Wood, and patriotic DJ music will be provided before and during the show by Key City Entertainment.

The fireworks show will be presented for free, but donations will be accepted with 100 percent of the donations to be divided equally between Hubbard Creek, Caddo, Wayland and Woodson volunteer fire departments.

Boomfest

The Breckenridge Chamber of Commerce, Caddo Creek Investments and Clear Fork Bank will present the annual Boomfest fireworks show at Hubbard Creek Lake on Friday, July 5.

The Chamber has reserved the pavilion at Corley’s Landing for events that will begin at 5 p.m., including food trucks and other vendors. There will also be live music, including a performance by Brent Wade, hosted by Blackhorse Mercantile and Cafe. The fireworks show is scheduled to begin at about 9 p.m.

To help raise funds for the fireworks show, Blackhorse Mercantile and Cafe will host a Murder Mystery Dinner on Saturday, June 29. Tickets cost $60 per person and will include dinner (appetizers, main course with a salad, dessert, and tea, water or soda) and entertainment. All proceeds will go toward the fireworks show. Drinks from the bar will be available for purchase.

The fundraiser will be an interactive performance where the crowd is able to participate and help discover who the “murderer” in the audience is. According to the event flyer, those attending the 1920s’ themed “Death of a Gangster” Murder Mystery Dinner are “invited to the Dunn Speakeasy for the wedding of the year! In this “married to the mob” event, you’ll never know who to trust. With the two families merging together, someone is bound to lose power, which means someone else will lose their life!” Attendees are asked to participate by dressing up in the 1920s’ theme – flapper dresses, zoot suits, feather head bands, or whatever seems to suit the event.

Tickets for the Murder Mystery Dinner and more information are available at Blackhorse, 103 W. Walker St.

Hell’s Gate Fireworks Show

If you’re still looking for more fireworks after the two in Stephens County, the Possum Kingdom Lake Chamber of Commerce will host the 37th annual Hell’s Gate Fireworks Show on Saturday, July 6.

The PK Lake Chamber will be set up at the YMCA’s Camp Grady Spruce with music, food trucks, bounce houses, face painting and more, beginning at 5:30 p.m. on July 6. There will be an entrance fee of $10 per person. There will be no swimming and no alcohol allowed. The fireworks show is scheduled to begin at dark.

Independence Day Celebration in Woodson

Woodson also will host an Independence Day Celebration on Saturday, July 6, at the Woodson Community Center.

There will be food and drinks for sale, and the music lineup includes Jacob Valentic, Elaine and Travis Gober, the Urban Pioneers and Jared McLane.

Plans include a waterslide, dunking booth, cow patty bingo, balloon toss, tug of war, sack races, turtle races and a cornhole tournament, followed by a fireworks show. Gates will open at 6 p.m.

Local teens purchase fireworks at Swan Fireworks on Tuesday night. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

The sun sets behind the Swan Firework stand on Tuesday night. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan.)

Cutline, top photo: Customers shop for fireworks at Swan Fireworks, located on the north side of U.S. Highway 180 West just past Walmart. The stand, which is built out of an old oil tank and painted like a Texas flag, was started in 2015 Kristin Walling. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)