DES MOINES, Iowa — Each time the Iowa Cubs play at Principal Park on a Friday night, fireworks rain over downtown for all of Des Moines to see.
But today, J&M Firework Displays is preparing for their biggest show of the year: The iCubs will celebrate Independence Day with a spectacular firework show following their Tuesday evening game.
Lead firework shooter Jacob Amsden is one of the crew members behind the loud booms and colorful sparkles.
"We’ve been setting up since about 9 this morning, as far as actually [being] out here on the ground," Amsden said.
But with this being his biggest display of the year, preparations started weeks ago.
"About two, three weeks ago, I started going through and getting everything scripted on the computer," Amsden said.
He puts a "script" for the show into a computer program that determines when each firework will be launched.
With commercial fireworks like these, the crew has several safety measures in place in case a malfunction occurs. This includes on-site water cannons, full safety gear and a large barrier surrounding each of the firework tubes.
Setting out to bring the best and brightest display to the Des Moines metro isn’t easy, but according to Amsden, it all pays off in the end.
"About six years ago, I went to a big fireworks convention and absolutely fell in love with it at that point," he said. "The Cubs [show] is my favorite one to shoot, of all of them."
The Fourth of July show begins immediately after the final inning, and is set to run about 18 minutes.