NEW CASTLE, PA — Pyrotecnico produced a Guinness World Records-certified fireworks display featuring 840,537 fireworks over Washington, D.C., on July 4, surpassing the previous global record as the United States marked its 250th anniversary.
The Pennsylvania-based company collaborated with Freedom 250 on the 40-minute Salute to America: The Nation’s 250th Birthday Fireworks Celebration over the National Mall. Guinness World Records credited Freedom 250 and Pyrotecnico Inc. with the achievement for an event organized by Event Strategies Inc.
The display surpassed the previous record of 810,904 fireworks by 29,633.
Executing the show required six months of design work followed by three weeks of on-site preparation. More than 75 crew members and 50 trucks were involved in deploying more than 168,000 pounds of fireworks.
Fireworks were positioned around the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and West Potomac Park, as well as on eight barges along the Potomac River.
“A show of this scale demanded the highest level of planning from all areas within the company,” Pyrotecnico Chief Executive Officer Stephen Vitale stated.
Vitale described the production as requiring “precise choreography” and layered design intended to represent 250 years of U.S. history while maintaining safety standards.
Thunderstorms briefly delayed the evening’s program before the fireworks proceeded. The celebration was also broadcast live to audiences beyond Washington.
President Donald Trump congratulated Freedom 250 and Pyrotecnico following the display, describing it as the most spectacular fireworks show he had seen and commending the team behind the production.
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