News : Boomtown lights up the sky, shakes the ground and makes you smile

The Boomtown fireworks show drew thousands to this year's show.  With cars lining the streets, filling the fairgrounds and every parking lot in the area, it was obvious that people were ready to see the show.  Last year's show was canceled like most other events because of COVID and it was obvious from the crowd this year, that people missed the show.

Boomtown, one of the largest fireworks displays that you might ever see, was indeed back in full force for 2021. The event highlights shells built by Iowa Pyrotechnic Association members. The shells range in size and were displayed along with the name of the person who created the shell and a brief description of how the shell should perform. Emceeing the show was Vinton's own Tom Pingenot and announcing each display was Janell Genardo of Illinois. Genardo's 12 year old twin daughters, Ava and Allison Sleigher, used humor in naming their shells. One was called, "I'll beat my sister" and the other was called, "No, you didn't beat me!"

There were several categories of competition for builders to compete in. Some of the shells were as large as 16" and weighed in at over 100 pounds.  Shells of this size are remotely fired in case of a misfire. Part of the show includes the people that you don't see on the grounds, the safety personnel. One of the 16" shells didn't perform as expected. It gave a great presentation, but it just didn't make it off the ground. 

The trainwreck known as 2020 had its very own salute at this year's Boomtown fireworks display. The "trainwreck" display was in memory of those we lost and in recognition of 2020. The original pyrotechnic interpretation of a trainwreck idea came about as a way of imitating a State Fair event that used to happen from as early as 1896 and other times through the years until 1932. The Iowa State Fair would run two locomotives head-on into each other at about 50 miles per hour. Watch the 1932 display here. The Iowa Pyrotechnics Association has some of the best video of the night events on their Facebook page. Boomtown re-enacted the train wreck with smoke, fire, and a ‘collision’ of fireworks. The display was set up along the backstretch of the Benton County Speedway. Complete with the sounds that you would expect to hear at a train station, it made you feel like real trains were indeed on the premises.

Along with the highlighted trainwreck, the earth-shaking 50-gallon explosions were the most impressive and drew the most applause from the crowds each time Large enough to definitely bring the heat, they also shook anything and everything in town.

Other displays were part of the show. In the junior category, featuring the work of ages 8-18 year old builders, a medley of songs played as various fireworks shot off. Ending with the song, I Can Only Imagine, the crowd cheered as the set concluded. To view this along with another set, click here and here.

Pictures and video are fine, but you really can't capture the sight and sounds of a firework display, you really have to be there! There are a few hundred pictures that you can view in the album here.

Below is a list of all of the shells that were built for the show.