Wisconsin's Greatest Fireworks Show

Rhythm and Booms has been one of Wisconsin's biggest 4th of July galas and fireworks display, declaring it the largest single-day event in the cheese state. Known as the "best fireworks show in the Midwest", it easily beats fireworks events in Milwaukee, Chicago, and Minneapolisbecause of the length of the display, the sum of shells ignited, and the vast amount of money invested by companies.
This event was established by Mr.Terry Kelly of Madison, WI. Mr. Kelly is President of the Madison Fireworks Fund, who hosts the annual Rhythm & Booms fireworks show. Earnings from the event's vending activities, after expenses, benefit children's charities in the Madison area. Since 1993, over a quarter of a million dollars has been generated.

The fireworks begin at sun down with a fly over by numerous F16s courtesy of the local Wisconsin Air National Guard, and are synced to music, which is broadcast over the local radio station. Spectators transport their boom-boxes to the venue and tune in to enjoy the brilliantly wonderfully synchronized fireworks show without any sound delay.

The fireworks last for around 35 minutes and feature over 15,000 fireworks shells.
Whiteis is a designer for the fireworks company J&M Displays Inc., and has been designing Wisconsin's Rhythm & Booms' fireworks displays for most of the past decade. Through two acquisitions, J&M includes Sunset Fireworks,therefore in one way or another, the company has handled Rhythm & Booms for every year but one.
Centered in Yarmouth, Iowa, J&M's facility hasn't been affected by the disturbing floods of recent summers, but some of its people and much of that region have been. There has been some impact on getting fireworks materials for Rhythm & Booms, but the company has been able to make it all work.

Every year Whiteis seem to find new variations to display. In 2009, the Wisconsin affair added the sparkling effect in the middle of the timed falling rain, and some that appeared like hearts, spaceships and circles with faces. The display's designer made nice use of symmetry with various fireworks ignited off in symmetrical pairs or triads. It was a wonderful display of color, including blues and purples that are not easy to produce.

The fireworks' mortars are fired via computer, guaranteeing synchronization of the fireworks and music.
Beginning in the late '90s, cannons from the local Wisconsin Army National Guard were used in the finale. The howitzers fire blanks into the night sky. Although the cannons make a different blast than the exploding fireworks, it can be difficult to hear them due to the continuous noise of fireworks overhead throughout the finale. The soldiers fired howitzer salutes at the top of each hour most of the afternoon.

The fireworks celebration has not gone without problems. In 2009, there was a mechanical failure with the Ferris wheel, causing people being stranded on the ride, including a police officer who was attempting to help in stabilizing the ride in order for people to be rescued. Madison Fire personnel reacted, and coordinated the rescue of those marooned on the ride. Nobody was incapacitated in this occurrence.

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