Celebrating the Fourth with a bang!

Dingeman Elementary School student Naha Yalamanchili won the Scripps Mesa Fireworks T-Shirt Design Contest (courtesy photo)

Celebrating the Fourth with a bang!

It’s that time again when the San Diego skyline will explode into a pyrotechnic ballet of colorful displays: flying pinwheels, shooting stars and squiggles of light trickling down to earth.

Michael Spencer, president of Scripps Mesa Fireworks, promises another exciting Fourth of July display for everyone in the Scripps Ranch, Mira Mesa and Miramar area.

Ground zero for the fireworks is Mira Mesa High School. The aerial display will begin July 4 at 9 p.m. and will light up the sky for nearly 20 minutes. Adding to the excitement of bombs bursting in the air is the soundtrack provided by KyXy radio.

“KyXy is the official fireworks radio network,” said John D’Angelo, KyXy promotions director. “We work with Pyro Spectaculars. They organize the actual fireworks show. We provide them with the soundtrack that is a mix of songs we play on the air, and patriotic music. We want to create a fun Fourth of July experience and are proud to be part of the celebration.”

There is an art to creating the potpourri of shapes, sounds and images that go into producing a show of this magnitude. These images also have names. For example, a “peony” is a spherical break of colored stars bursting as if shot from a cannon – a fan favorite.

A “crossette” resembles a handful of exploding stars that burst into the evening sky. Another oldie but goodie includes the “orange chrysanthemums.” They burst into a pattern that forms the shape of a ball as it drifts to earth. And the “spider” includes fast-burning bursts that shoot exploding stars emitting a sound like a giant bowl of cereal: snap, crackle and pop.

“In addition to the fireworks, the kids also look forward to our annual T-Shirt Design Contest,” Spencer said. “This is the first time we’ve had a winner from Scripps Ranch. She is Naha Yalamanchili, a student at Dingeman Elementary School. We were especially excited that the winner is from the school named after Colonel Dingeman, a man who was very important to the local community.”

The competition was stiff, with more than 400 entries from 12 participating schools in the Scripps Ranch and Mira Mesa communities, ranging from kindergarten through fifth grade. Anyone may get the T-shirt for a $10 donation to support the fireworks display by visiting scrippsmesafireworks.org.

“The money raised from T-shirt donations all go to the cost of fireworks as does all of the financial support we receive from the community,” Spencer said.

Every cent goes toward the event, he added.

“We expect a crowd of at least 20,000 spectators,” Spencer said. “So, arrive early to avoid parking problems. Some of the best viewing spots are Mira Mesa Mall, Mira Mesa Community Park, Mesa Verde Park, Mira Mesa Senior Center – any of the higher elevations of Scripps Ranch that peer into Mira Mesa.”