The night sky above Lake Havasu City is about to explode with fireworks as the annual Winter Blast kicks off.

“There’s always new and exciting things,” said Kief Adler, the Western Pyrotechnic Association public display and demonstration chair. “(There will be) lots of new features on the public display on Saturday and I’m not going to tell you what they are.”

The association, founded in 1989 as a trade network, started holding its free annual fireworks trade show in Lake Havasu City one year later.

The four-day event, held at the Havasu 95 Speedway track at SARA Park located off of State Route 95 in southern Lake Havasu City, shows off some of the biggest and best fireworks displays.

Adler said the show is the only one of its kind in the Western U.S.

All public firework shows start at 8 p.m., and event organizers suggest finding a parking spot by 7 p.m.

The first public show on Friday is expected to last about 15 to 20 minutes, according to Lynden King, the Association’s event chair. Saturday’s show is expected to be the largest and will last about an hour. Sunday’s show will last about 30 to 45 minutes.

Vendors will be setting off fireworks throughout the day and on Thursday evening.

The Western Arizona Humane Society Executive Director Victoria Cowper previously suggested keeping pets indoors in smaller rooms or crates, if properly trained, during the event hours, which can last until 10 p.m.

The Dylan Off-Leash Dog Area in SARA Park will be closed during the event this year after one dog died after a stampede caused by spooked pets in 2009.

No parking is allowed along the shoulders of State Route 95 during the event.

A $5 parking fee will be charged for parking at the speedway track, ball fields, and the SARA Park BMX track, according to city officials. A $10 fee will be charged for parking at the Lake Havasu City Fair Grounds.

Recreational Vehicles (RVs) will not be allowed to park in the speedway racetrack or ball field parking lots during the public shows. The fairgrounds will allow RV parking starting Thursday. Today’s New-Herald was unable to confirm if the BMX racetrack will allow RV parking.

Attendees wishing to access the fairgrounds or BMX area must enter the event from South McCulloch Boulevard and State Route 95. A portion of SARA Park Way, which runs through the park and connects to State Route 95 on either end, will be closed from the BMX racetrack to the Havasu Speedway as part of the firework “fallout zone” during the event.

Pop-up tents, grills, and shades will not be permitted in the parking lots, but will be allowed on the ball fields, according to city information.

For more information, contact the Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation Department at 928-453-8686.

You may contact the reporter at jleatherman@havasunews.com