Dedicated Community Firework Shows
Omaha Residents Dedicate Weeks Selling Fireworks to Fund Neighborhood Shows
Every summer, two Omaha neighbors turn a fireworks stand into a neighborhood spectacle. Josh Stagemeyer and Dustin Schmidt work 16-hour days for two weeks straight, selling fireworks — then spend every dollar on an even bigger show for their block on the Fourth of July. KETV NewsWatch 7 reported the duo drops between $10,000 and $15,000 on a single night's display.
"We aren't doing this to put money in our pockets," Stagemeyer said, according to KETV NewsWatch 7. "We're selling pyrotechnics to buy more pyrotechnics. The reward is seeing the entire block lined with lawn chairs and kids' faces lighting up."
Two Weeks of 16-Hour Days to Fund One Night
The operation starts long before anyone lights a fuse. Stagemeyer and Schmidt apply for a Nebraska retail fireworks license in December. By June 24, they open their stand and begin their two-week sprint. That adds up to roughly 224 hours of labor per person, according to WOWT NBC 6. They often sleep near the tent to guard inventory overnight.
The math works like this: instead of buying fireworks at retail markup, they sell to neighbors first. That money funds their own purchase at near-wholesale prices. The result is a show far larger than they could ever afford as regular customers. "It brings the neighborhood together in a way nothing else does," one neighbor told KMTV 3 News Now.
A Decade-Old Tradition That Started With $500
The duo started small — a $500 show nearly ten years ago. As the crowd on their block grew year after year, they realized a part-time retail operation was the only way to keep up. Since 2023, fireworks prices have risen 15% to 25%, driven by supply chain shifts and inflation, according to research tied to the National Safety Council.
Their show uses consumer-grade fireworks, known as 1.4G. That's the legal limit for private use in Nebraska. Because they stay below the professional 1.3G threshold, they avoid the State Fire Marshal's display permit fee and the stricter site inspections that come with it, according to the Nebraska State Fire Marshal.
Neighbors Cheer, But Critics Point to Real Costs
Not everyone on the block is a fan. On local forums like r/Omaha, residents have raised concerns about veterans with PTSD and pets rattled by constant booms. "It's not just one night," one user wrote. "It's the constant 'booms' for two weeks while they test or sell." Fines for discharging fireworks outside Omaha's legal window — July 2 through 4 — range from $300 to $500, according to Hola Nebraska.
Safety groups also flag the broader risk. The National Safety Council reports that 14,700 people were treated in emergency rooms across the U.S. in 2024 for fireworks injuries. Mortar-style fireworks — the kind Stagemeyer and Schmidt favor — made up a large share of those cases. The Omaha Police Department assigns extra officers to a dedicated Fireworks Detail each year to manage the surge in complaints, according to the Omaha World-Herald.
City Hall Watches as Neighborhood Shows Grow Larger
The scale of backyard shows like this one has caught the attention of local officials. In 2026, the Omaha City Council kept its strict three-day discharge window — July 2, 3, and 4 — to balance community tradition with quality-of-life concerns. Some council members have floated a "permit-only" model for large neighborhood shows in the future, according to the Lexington Clipper-Herald.
Nebraska spends an estimated $23 million on fireworks each year, according to research cited by journalstar.com. Stagemeyer and Schmidt's model keeps that spending hyperlocal — though most of the product is imported from China. For now, their July 4th show goes on, funded entirely by the neighborhood itself.
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