Slower sales won't dampen New Year's tradition

HARLINGEN - Fireworks vendors said sales have fluctuated but not fizzled this Christmas and New Year's season, but they hope to see some pop today.

"Today will be good and on the 31st," Fernando Fuentes, an Alamo Fireworks stand attendant, aid Tuesday. "It's when people really come out."

Fuentes said the stand, on Wilson Road near El Cielo Lindo Court, has had about half the business as it had during the 2007 Christmas and New Year's season.

Fuentes said he believes the slower sales are a result of the current economy.

On average, customers have been spending about $50 or less on fireworks this season, Fuentes said, which is lower than last year's spending.

Denise Delgado and her son Joshua shopped Tuesday for fireworks at Alamo Fireworks near Lewis Lane and the Expressway 83 frontage road.

Delgado said that although popping fireworks to welcome the new year is a tradition, she is cutting back on her fireworks spending.

"It's a tradition: the family gets together and pops fireworks together because it makes the children happy," Delgado said. "We usually get the big fireworks, but now we are picking and choosing because we are watching what we spend."

Still Joshua Delgado bought "sparkly" fireworks, bottle rockets and tanks, "because it's cool," he said.

Debra Sanchez, a manager at Alamo Fireworks, also said that on average customers are spending about $50 on fireworks.

However, compared to the Fourth of July season, Christmas and New Year's sales are up, Sanchez said.

Alamo fireworks sold about $40,000 worth of fireworks this Christmas, Sanchez said.

Daily sales have ranged from $2,000 to $3,000, Sanchez said, a figure that should increase today.

The assortment fireworks packages and the new artillery fireworks have been the best sellers, Sanchez said.

Baltazar Herrera, an attendant at a Valley Fireworks stand on Stuart Place Road, said that today he expects customers to crowd the stand making last-minute purchases.

"People wait until the last minute (to buy fireworks) because if they have them there, it's a temptation to pop them early," Herrera said. "Kids want colors and that's what parents want too, so they can entertain their kids for a while."

Herrera said customers are not spending the usual $80 to $100, but they are not complaining about the fireworks prices either, because prices have remained the same.

Chad Woolim of Harlingen shopped for "big fireworks" Tuesday but said that thanks to the drop in gas prices, he had extra cash to spend.

"It's been a while since I popped fireworks so I figured I'd buy some and go crazy," Woolim said. "I'm young so anything sparkly and shiny I go for."

Woolim planned to pop the fireworks at the beach with friends.

But fireworks come with risk - as well as flash and sparkle, as Teresa Flores and Ulises Gabinez learned long ago.

The visitors from Mexico said about 10 years ago their niece was badly burned, so they prefer that children stay away from fireworks on New Year's.

"We spent that New Year's in the hospital and that's when we realized how many kids experience injuries because of fireworks," Ulises Gabinez said.

Assistant Fire Chief Cirilo Rodriguez said that people should keep in mind that popping fireworks inside the city limits is prohibited and violators can be fined.

Rodriguez said an adult should also be present when children are popping fireworks and fireworks should be popped only in an open area away from tall, dry grass and homes.

A good alternative to popping fireworks is to attend a fireworks display, such as the one that will be held tonight at the Valley Race Park, Rodriguez said.