Celebration of Light

Now as an ex-pat I understand the beauty and excitement that fireworks bring, especially on the 4th of July.

But here in Vancouver the sky comes to life at the end of July for four nights. The color streaks the blackness, the pops echo off the buildings surrounding English Bay, as three countries compete for the title.

Yes, the Celebration of Light is a competition in fireworks.

This year's show kicked off with the host country, Canada, artful creation of Godzilla. The soundtrack from the original movie set the mood for the firework display. To add to the drama there was a huge blow up Godzilla erected on the waterfront. As the 25 minute show unfolded the story was expressed and you felt when the great monster was defeated.

Show number 2, featured the USA, in their very first appearance. Unfortunately, there was very little wind to push the smoke aside causing the smoke to capture the colors rather than seeing the individual sparks. Further, the music didn't flow and sadly, our expectations were not met. We missed the KFOG Kaboom with the rock music that pumps you up and matches the display with the beat of the music.

The final country to shoot off it's rockets was China. Now China, a country that's been using fireworks for hundreds of years was sure to not disappoint. And oh, the show was amazing. The colors, the numerous explosions, the flow of music and the variety of fireworks was incredible.

This Saturday is the finale when all 3 groups work together to show off the artistry. Can't wait to see what they come up with.