Most Northwest Arkansas municipalities ban shooting fireworks in city limits to celebrate New Year's, but there are exceptions, a review of local ordinances shows.
Finding fireworks to shoot this time of year isn't as easy as during the Fourth of July, though, owners of fireworks companies said in interviews Thursday.
"It's cold, too cold to set up a tent for the amount of fireworks you can sell for New Year's night," said Gregg Johnson of Fayetteville, co-owner of G and C Fireworks. Setting up space heaters for customers and staff in a tent full of fireworks is obviously not an option, he and other fireworks business owners said.
"You find more people using fireworks further south," Johnson said.
Northwest Arkansas has colder winter weather than other parts of the country or even other parts of Arkansas, he said. The fact this region's larger towns don't allow fireworks at New Year's is another factor in the lack of firework stands locally, he added.
Northwest Arkansas does have some indoor fireworks retailers such as Jake's Fireworks in Centerton and Riverside Year-Round Fireworks in Siloam Springs. But Riverside, for instance, does an estimated 95% or so of its business during the Fourth of July season, said owner Adam Keeley.
His store in Siloam Springs does stay open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and "until the last customer leaves" on New Year's Eve, he said. Most of the year, the store is open by reservation. "We do a little business on Memorial Day, Labor Day, for gender reveal parties and weddings," he said.
"People are traveling during the holidays" before New Year's, Keeley said, while the Fourth is usually more of a stay-at-home event. This makes buying and planning to use fireworks easier during the Fourth.
Also, people set off fireworks for days around the Fourth of July while New Year's is more of a one-day event, he said. People are also considerate enough to their neighbors not to set off loud fireworks at midnight when the New Year arrives, he said, while fireworks for the Fourth are not tied to a specific time.
"We sell mostly sparklers and fountains for New Year's," he said.
Safety is a top consideration, the business owners said. Be sure to drop used fireworks in a bucket of water or douse larger ones thoroughly, they said.
"In winter people will wear long pants and long sleeves, so there's less chance of burns," Keeley said.
Burn bans are also less likely in the wintertime, he said.
None of the cities listed below allow fireworks to legally go off after 1 a.m. Jan. 1, and two forbid firing them after 12:30 a.m. that day. Beginning times also vary. Johnson's ordinance allows legal use of fireworks for 30 minutes, between midnight and 12:30 a.m., on New Year's Day.
The legal starting times listed below are on Dec. 31, New Year's Eve, unless otherwise noted. The ending time in all cases is on New Year's Day. The list is in order from earliest starting time and day to the latest:
Bella Vista: 6 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Centerton: 8 a.m. to 12:30 a.m.
Decatur: Noon to 1 a.m.
Garfield: Noon to 1 a.m.
Gravette: Noon to 12 a.m.
Farmington: 10 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Greenland: Noon to 1 a.m.
Johnson: Midnight on Jan. 1 to 12:30 a.m. the same day.
Pea Ridge: Noon to 1 a.m.
Siloam Springs: Noon to 1 a.m.
Tontitown: 9 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Pedero Martinez (from left), 3, Junior Martinez, 14, and Juan Martinez of Rogers make their way to the checkout counter to buy fireworks Thursday at Jake's Fireworks in Centerton. "We have people who travel from Missouri, Washington County and even from Siloam Springs. We're one of the only places that are open for New Year's," said Blake Almond, who helps run the shop with his family. "It's just not a very wide selection of fireworks for that short amount of time, three to five days, that people are able to sell." He added that even their second location in the former Bethel Heights can no longer sell fireworks since being annexed by Springdale due to that city's stricter regulations. Visit nwaonline.com/photos for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Charlie Kaijo)
Junior Martinez, 14, of Rogers loads a cart with fireworks Thursday at Jake's Fireworks in Centerton. "We have people who travel from Missouri, Washington County and even from Siloam Springs. We're one of the only places that are open for New Year's," said Blake Almond, who helps run the shop with his family. "It's just not a very wide selection of fireworks for that short amount of time, three to five days, that people are able to sell." He added that even their second location in the former Bethel Heights can no longer sell fireworks since being annexed by Springdale due to that city's stricter regulations. Visit nwaonline.com/photos for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Charlie Kaijo)
Marlow Almond (from left), 5, and Brayleigh Crase, 1, sit in a cart as Linsey Crase picks out fireworks Thursday at Jake's Fireworks in Centerton. "We have people who travel from Missouri, Washington County and even from Siloam Springs. We're one of the only places that are open for New Year's," said Blake Almond, who helps run the shop with his family. "It's just not a very wide selection of fireworks for that short amount of time, three to five days, that people are able to sell." He added that even their second location in the former Bethel Heights can no longer sell fireworks since being annexed by Springdale due to that city's stricter regulations. Visit nwaonline.com/photos for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Charlie Kaijo)