(Riverton, WY) – July 17th started at 6 am for 11 volunteers who were tasked with orchestrating the annual Riverton Rendezvous fireworks show during the Balloon Rally last weekend.
The team worked throughout the day setting up for the 10 pm show, and continued until about 2:30 am on Sunday cleaning up the fireworks.
The main fireworks shooter, Dustin McLaughlin, shared they only had three weeks to organize and design this years’ show since the shooting site was moved to Jaycee Park.
Dustin, who works at Flying Phoenix Fireworks, has been part of this annual show for about a decade. Once the location was confirmed, he along with Matt Dalley, who also works at Flying Phoenix and has been part of the show for about six years, went through their inventory to see what was available.
Once they figured out what they had to work with, Dustin and his son Weston started to layout the design of the show.
“I’m relatively new to designing shows with the computer systems we are using now,” Dustin said. “But it took Weston and me a good two weeks straight of 10 to 15 hours a day to design, script, and preparing the product before the day of the show.”
Former Riverton residents Kevin and Jessie Adams, who are award-winning display operators, asked if they pitched their own money into the show if they can take part in it, he shared. They have been helping with this show for about three years as well.
h/t DeAnna McLaughlin 
h/t DeAnna McLaughlin 
h/t DeAnna McLaughlin
Dustin along with Kevin, who had his own shooting system, shot the show in tandem.
“I did the body while he shot the frontal effects,” he said. “Matt was in the back field hand lighting shells that weren’t in the script.”
In addition to Dustin, Matt, Kevin, Jessie and Weston, volunteers included Jim Landis, DeAnna McLaughlin, Dakota Nelson, Austen Wells and Jim and Lynn Dunger, of Green River.
“It was an extremely long day and it felt like 160° on the asphalt. All of the people on the crew are ready to do it again!”
Check out the video of the show below: