Fireworks festival set to blast off this weekend

Brad Dezotell says it takes a lot of work to design a fireworks display. (Stephanie Villella/CTV)

Preparing the spectacular fireworks that will light up the sky this weekend for one of Saskatoon's largest summer festivals is more work than people think, technical director Brad Dezotell says.

“We’re loading hundreds if not thousands of shells,” he said.

It takes months to prepare the show. Work starts with designing the sequence of the fireworks, the theme of the show and the music.

The design is then programmed into a control box that technicians such as Dezotell operate.

A technician starts the show from the control box with a push of a button - and from there a spark travels to the shell which then blasts off into the air, illuminating the sky.

“It goes about 400 feet and bursts about 200 feet across,” Dezotell said.

“That’s what you see travelling up in the sky.”

The 11th annual Nutrien Fireworks Festival is on Friday and Saturday night. The festival will feature events and entertainment at River Landing, including local bands and cultural performances.

Each night will cap off with a 15-minute fireworks show set to music beginning around 9:30 p.m.