Local fireworks vendor says safety is more of a concern for customers than money

Alex BurtonJanuary 1, 2023

“This past fourth of July season, we did see a drop there, but that was primarily due to the drought.”

HELOTES, Texas — San Antonio residents can expect as bright and colorful a New Year’s celebration for 2023 as any other year despite inflation, according to one area fireworks retailer.

The first light of the new year doesn’t come from the sun, but from people setting the sky ablaze with fireworks.

“San Antonio is one of the most fanatical cities I’ve ever seen when it comes to Fireworks,” Courtnay Davila said.

Davila said she doesn’t think New Year’s 2023 will be any different. She opened Blastoff Fireworks in Helotes in 2017 along with her husband Mike.

She said they haven’t seen much impact from inflation on their sales. “No. Really, if anything, this past 4th of July season, we did see a drop there, but that was primarily due to the drought” she said.

Davila said, at least to her customers, safety is more of a concern than money.

“We have a lot of repeat customers we see year after year after year,” she said. “Even those guys were like: ‘you know, we’re just going to get some little things. we don’t want to go out like we normally do, because we want to be careful.”

Since the drought has ended, people in San Antonio and the Hill Country are getting excited about fireworks again.

As for what to expect the sky to look like on New Year’s Eve…

“I would say it will look pretty typical,” she said. “That’s for the city, and then out here of course you know, we drive through, and you’re seeing it throughout all the hills.”

Which could lead to a stressful new year for people with pets or noise sensitivities.

But Davila says, with the right guidance and communication, people can find ways to make New Year’s just as bright for their neighbors.

“Some of the fountains, that are just colorful, they’re low-lying, they don’t make a lot a mess. Some of the roman candles that are quiet, they’re just colorful,” Davila said. “There are definitely options, just the communication, so you can get the guidance to know what to get and what not to get.”