Fireworks Helena Area? (Kalispell, Whitefish, East Helena: appointed, neighborhood, buying)

[spudmom]

I've noticed on the Helena city website that fireworks are not permitted, unless it's for commercial purposes. Is this true for the surrounding small towns? I'm having a hard time finding the info and I was hoping some locals could help me out. Here where I live in Idaho, you can have fireworks except the large launcher style ones. We will be sorely disappointed if we have to move and give up our small family fireworks fun. What are typical 4th of July firework offerings for the public also (ie at a college or city park). Thanks in advance!

[bigtrees]

Fireworks are a illegal inside the city limits of a lot of Montana towns. Kalispell for sure and I believe Whitefish as well these days.

The key thing for you would be to live outside the city limits where they are generally allowed. Or you can always hope your neighbors don't care.

For specific towns, asking the city government officials is probably better than this form.

[lorelei2873]

I wouldn't worry about it too much. While fireworks are not permitted in Helena, a lot of Helena is not in the city limits. Everyone shoots off fireworks in the valley. Also, East Helena is fireworks central! Even if you're in Helena, as long as you're in a flat part with no trees or on a hill (which much of the inside the city-limits stuff is), you can see fireworks going off for miles. Many people also go out to the lake to shoot them off.

The VFW in East Helena puts on an annual fireworks show and tons of people come out from Helena. Cars line the streets all over East Helena with people randomly shooting stuff off before, during, and after the display.

I appreciate that you can't shoot them off in the Helena city limits but that the country is close by. It's better for sleeping that way.

[spudmom]

Thank you all for your help. I'll be up in your area next week for dh's job interview, can't wait to see the area. You are only 7 hrs from me, so I think it will be a nice drive.
Where do you buy the fireworks from? Are there stands outside city limits?

[lorelei2873]

There are a quite a few stands just outside of the city limits. I don't buy them so I can't tell you which is the best one or if the stands themselves actually need to be outside the city limits. I think you can start buying them on June 24 but I'm not 100 percent certain if that's true.

[Timberwolf232]

Originally Posted by spudmom

I've noticed on the Helena city website that fireworks are not permitted, unless it's for commercial purposes. Is this true for the surrounding small towns? I'm having a hard time finding the info and I was hoping some locals could help me out. Here where I live in Idaho, you can have fireworks except the large launcher style ones. We will be sorely disappointed if we have to move and give up our small family fireworks fun. What are typical 4th of July firework offerings for the public also (ie at a college or city park). Thanks in advance!

The best fourth of july parties are the ones where there are (can I say this?) illegal and improvised fireworks. Ironic that most times these are NOT the people that start the fires out of drunken stupidity or blow their fingers off most times....

Personally I've seen enough explosions in my day to last a generation a lifetime, so I let everyone around me burn their money on fireworks.

[mthawki]

A couple weeks before the 4th, stands pop up all over town just outside city limits. Finding a place to purchase your arsenal will not be a problem, so don't worry about that. The East Helena VFW is the only organized local firework show and it's usually pretty good. People park all over town and shoot off their own while waiting for the show around 10pm.
In our neighborhood (10 Mile Creek) almost all of the neighbors buy fireworks, so it's easier to just stay in our own driveway to watch and participate in the "firefight."

[spudmom]

Thanks again for all your help. I feel much better about this now!! We have a neighborhood fireworks show/bbq every year, 5 families. We each put money in the pot and the guys go out and buy them. We also do some creative fireworks. We have a gigantic buffer zone that all the kids don't dare cross for fear of being sent inside. If we all go into my neighbor's 3 story home, you can see fireworks of all kinds all over town. Do you guys have the firework (not sure of name) that shoots up a parachute man? That is like the ultimate prize for the kids, they love that. (Of course we did it in a state other than Idaho, they are not legal here)
Also appreciate knowing your fireworks show is just as late as ours, it stays light so late!
Thanks again!

[decembergirl]

Originally Posted by mthawki

A couple weeks before the 4th, stands pop up all over town just outside city limits. Finding a place to purchase your arsenal will not be a problem, so don't worry about that. The East Helena VFW is the only organized local firework show and it's usually pretty good. People park all over town and shoot off their own while waiting for the show around 10pm.
In our neighborhood (10 Mile Creek) almost all of the neighbors buy fireworks, so it's easier to just stay in our own driveway to watch and participate in the "firefight."

We are in Treasure State so we do the same thing. Some people even get up on their roof here, but I am afraid of heights.