Pittsburghers have long enjoyed fireworks, and now they can anticipate even more.
PyroFest, the fireworks festival with the largest number of displays in the country, is held annually in western Pennsylvania and will have an even larger home this year.
The 4th annual PyroFest will take place at Cooper’s Lake Campground near Slippery Rock in Butler County for the first time May 22nd and 23rd. The festival will include several different fireworks displays throughout the day, which will include colored smoke, and into the night, according to Derek Weber, a spokesman for Pyrotecnico.
“You get to see some fireworks displays that you normally never get to see,” Weber said. “Not only around here but anywhere really in the country.”
Weber said there will be a display by Ricardo Caballer Ricasa of Spain, who designed the fireworks displays at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and 2014 FIFA World Cup opening ceremonies.
Previously, the festival was only one day and took place at Hartwood Acres. Weber said the increased space at Cooper’s Lake will allow them to add more activities, while also giving people more room to move.
“It’ll be similar in a way, it’s just the site is much bigger now,” Weber said. “It gives us some more space. The shows will get even wider than what they’ve been in the past, so we can add even more things to it, which is nice.”
He noted that another perk of the larger site will include better parking. In previous years, parking lots were separate from the festival location, requiring a shuttle.
“On top of all the fireworks, we pretty much have a whole festival set up where we have a main stage,” Weber said. “We have bands playing throughout both days in between all the firework shows.”
Scheduled musical acts include Nomad, B.E. Taylor, Johnny Angel and the Halos, Ruff Creek, and Jimbo and the Soup Bones.
“Basically, it’ll alternate between a band on stage and then fireworks displays,” Weber said. “Then once we get to nine o’clock and darker, then it’s straight fireworks.”
The festival will also have a kids’ zone and various concession stands.
A basic one-day adult ticket costs $20, according to the official PyroFest website. They also have military and student discounts.
