Since Festina Fireworks first opened in 2017 after fireworks sales in Iowa became legal for the first time, father and son Mike and Brad Reicks have taken great pride in providing northeast Iowa with plenty of Independence Day fun. Along with providing a tent full of merchandise that is sure to provide plenty of sparks and booms, they also coordinate the annual Festina fireworks display that has become a draw to the small community’s yearly Fourth of July celebration. (Zakary Kriener photo)
Providing a spark to the 4th of July in NE Iowa
Zakary Kriener
News Writer
zkriener@fayettepublishing.com
When a new law went into effect last year to allow for the sale of fireworks in Iowa, Festina’s Brad Reicks and father, Mike, saw an opportunity to light a new fuse.
“I’ve always loved just shooting off fireworks and seeing
them every year,” stated Brad, a 24-year-old entrepreneur. “We saw a great opportunity to start selling them for ourselves and used it as a way to help pay for the show that we put on here in town every Fourth of July.”
Located in Festina along Highway 150, the local vendor of Class B (large, professional fireworks) and Class C (small, consumer fireworks) fireworks opened the tent doors for the 2018 season on June 13, the first legal date to sell from a temporary location, and it will remain open through July 8.
“There are quite a few regulations associated with running an operation like this, so we did a lot of research on what needed to be done to comply with all of the regulations,” stated Mike. “We have to be inspected by the fire marshal each year, have certain signage posted throughout the tent, and have fire extinguishers on the grounds. It’s very tightly regulated.”