Trouble staying awake for New Year's Eve fireworks?
Not this year.
For the first time, Philadelphia will stage two fireworks shows to usher in the new year, the first in the gathering darkness at 6 p.m., the second at midnight.
The early show is designed to appeal to families with young children as well as anyone who might want to turn in early but who has a passion for the spidery constellations that light the night sky. Both shows will be at Penn's Landing, against the silhouette of the illuminated Benjamin Franklin Bridge.
The Delaware River Waterfront Corp., using its budget and some funding from the Delaware River Port Authority, will foot the $65,000 cost of the two shows, to be performed by Pyrotecnico of New Castle, Pa. The company, which has staged shows in Philadelphia in the past, was chosen from among three finalist bidders.
While the corporation's outlay will provide bang for the buck, there is also the matter of bucks for the bang. A recent study of the impact of special-event fireworks on local tourism, according to the corporation, found that tourists spend at least 23 times the cost of putting on a show.
Shot from barges on the Delaware River, the shows will include a large number of powerful 10-inch shells that can be seen for miles across Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as well as 20-foot pyrotechnical trusses that will spray fireworks artistically.
On Monday, Mayor Nutter is expected to make an official announcement of the double-barreled celebration.
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