Preparations For 88th Annual Americafest 4th Of July Show Underway At Rose Bowl

PASADENA (CBSLA.com) — Preparations for LA's largest and longest-running Fourth of July extravaganza are underway.

Paul Souza and his crew from Pyro Spectaculars spent Wednesday in full preparation for Friday's fireworks show at the Rose Bowl, dubbed "Americafest".

"We try every year to do things bigger and better," Souza said. "This year's focal point is the two hundredth anniversary of the National Anthem, so we're setting of a gigantic flag inside the stadium, (a) massively-scaled set-piece flag to commemorate the two hundredth anniversary."

Souza knows well the safety risks involved in such a show, and he is aware of accidents involving 4th of July fireworks shows over recent years, but he is not worried. He says his crew has already taken proper precautions.

"We have an extensive safety zone around the fireworks area, and we have a great relationship with local fire department here, the Pasadena Fire Department, who also helps us keep the public away from the fireworks zone," Souza shared. "What else is safe, is being at a professional fireworks display. The safest thing to do is to come here as opposed to trying to do something in your backyard that's both illegal and unsafe."

Souza provided CBS2 with a brief appetizer for his fireworks show, when, with the push of a button, 'CBS2' and a 'KCAL9' logos both ignited, illuminating the sky as mortar fireworks erupted in front of the Rose Bowl.

Pyro Spectaculars features two tons of festive explosives at Americafest, managed by 15 workers.

The 88th Annual Americafest kicks off this Friday, with tickets at $13 per person. Kids under 5 get in free.

For more information, visit the festival's website.