Solsberry to light up with fireworks on Thursday night

The summer skies will be glowing with a bright array of colorful fireworks over the small eastern Greene County community of Solsberry Thursday on the eve of Independence Day.

Traditionally, Solsberry hosts one of the largest annual fireworks displays in the area that lights up the sky for miles in impressive fashion for a show that lasts about 45 minutes.

"We'll have one (firework) in the air all of the time and a big grand finale," Beech Creek Trustee Larry Shute promised. "It will be a little bigger than last year."

The fireworks begin at dusk -- which is about 9:45 p.m.

Sponsored by the Eastern Fire Department and a large group of area business and individual financial supporters, the event is now in its 16th year, according Shute, who helped to get the event started and is still is active in helping to arrange the entertainment.

For one evening the tiny hamlet of Solsberry will see its population explode in fireworks fashion.

Most years, a crowd estimated by Shute and fire department officials at more than 5,000, pack into and around the tiny town that normally has a population of less than 400.

"It's so crowded that you can hardly drive through town. It's quite an event for us," Shute said. "It's almost become a monster for us, but it's fun ... we are looking forward to do it again."

The festivities start about 6 p.m. on the grounds around the fire station and the trustee's building and spills over into Shute's front and side yards -- which serves as a first come, first serve parking lot and on up the hill along State Road 43.

His backyard provides a location to set up lawn chairs to watch the entertainment stage that will feature a live band "Craig and Darla Koons Band."

They play a variety of modern country music, Shute said.

"It will be about an hour of music starting about 8. It's free entertainment," Shute said.

Near the fire station, food vendors will set up to sell hot dogs; hamburgers, corn dogs, smoked barbecue sandwiches and dinners; kettle corn; snow cones, and soft drinks.

Proceeds from the concessions go back into the community, he pointed out.

Shute also said the Solsberry Methodist Church will be selling a variety of foods and Yoho's General Store will be offering hand-dipped ice cream and fresh sweet corn.

"It's going to be a good time, weather permitting of course. The fireworks will go off unless its just a flat downpour. A couple of years we' waited until it quit raining to shoot and people hung around," Shute said.

Shute pointed out that support for the fireworks event is always very good from businesses and individuals who donate money and from the patrons who attend.

Nearly $10,000 has been raised through donations to purchase the fireworks for this year's show.

"We still don't do this as a fundraiser for the fire department. It's something we give back to community," he said. "It kind of evolved into the annual event it is today. It is a semi-fundraiser. It allows us to recoup some money we spend other than for fireworks."

After the fireworks show, Shute cautioned patrons to be patient and not get in too big of a hurry to rush out of town.

The traffic does move slow.

Shute has contacted Greene County Sheriff Terry Pierce and he'll have a crew dispatched to assist with traffic control.

"Don't be surprised if you get into a heavy traffic situation," Shute cautioned with a laugh. "Getting out of town can be a problem. It's wall-to-wall people."

However, in 10 or 15 minutes it all clears out and Solsberry is again real quite for another year.