Fireworks sales set to begin Thursday
By Chris Fortune
Fireworks fanatics can rejoice, as retail sales in Missouri are set to begin Thursday.
The sale of fireworks at seasonal retailers is permitted from June 20 to July 10 in Missouri, but the job continues year-round for local shop owners.
“We have everything ordered here in the next couple of months for the next year,” Schneitter Fireworks co-owner Stacy Schneitter-Blake said. “So it’s a full-year process.”
Consumers in the United States used over 246.5 million pounds of fireworks in 2023, according to the American Pyrotechnics Association.
Schneitter Fireworks at 12801 County Road 352 carries over 2,000 types of fireworks that cater to kids and adults.
“We have all kinds, you know, it’s a celebration for any occasion,” she said. “We want to make memories for families at every level.”
PJ’s Fireworks at 20830 State Highway K sees regulars each year who spend thousands of dollars on fireworks, including a group of families who visit from Garden City, Kansas.
“They spend $5,000 to $6,000, load that van up and the U-Haul, and head back,” Owner PJ Kovac said. “So they make a two-day trip out of it.”
Anyone who wants to avoid a crowd when shopping for fireworks should make a trip to a fireworks store before June 30.
“A big uptick in business from the 30th to the Fourth of July,” he said. “You notice a huge difference.”
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission data says 10,200 people were treated for fireworks injuries in 2022. Schneitter-Blake said it’s important to practice fireworks safety.
“We always want to promote safety of our products,” she said. “And always make sure to read your warning labels, have water available, make sure that there’s an adult with the children,” she said.
