Rockets Over the Red welcomes Christmastime

Curtis Elkins and his Pyromania Fireworks team will perform nearly 1,000 shows throughout the South this year.

But there’s something special about doing a show in Curtis’ hometown.

“It means a lot because this is the community in the area that got us started and continues to support us year after year,” Elkins said.

“If it had not been for this community and the opportunities that were given to us, our business and what we do would not be operating in four states.”

Saturday, Nov. 29, Elkins will provide the fireworks for Rockets Over the Red, a 10-hour celebration to welcome the Christmas season. From 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Riverview Park (located across from Sci-Port Discovery Center), a street market, food trucks, music and children’s activities will be available. An all-LED Christmas tree will be lit, accompanied by a light show on the Texas Street Bridge, a drone show and a fireworks display.

“It is the kickoff to lighting the downtown riverfront for the holiday season,” said Terri Mathews, executive director of Downtown Shreveport Unlimited (DSU), the group producing the event. (DSU also produces Mudbug Madness, BREW and Paddy in the Plaza.) “It is a free community event, so we want to bring everybody together for festivities on both sides of the river. You can also see (the drone and fireworks show) from the Louisiana Boardwalk.”

In addition to a visit from Santa Claus, performers from the Shreveport Little Theatre will present songs from the Disney movie “Frozen.” A local band, Pocket Change, will perform cover songs and will sprinkle in Christmas music.

“It is Thanksgiving week so that people will have family in,” Mathews said. “It’s a great opportunity to get out of the house when you are full of turkey. We will have vendors so you can shop and pick up some gifts. This is our town. This is our community. It’s a great opportunity to come out and support what is good here.”

Around 7:15, Elkins will fire off approximately 1,200 four- and five-inch shells into the night sky. Then, it will begin to look a lot like Christmas.

“Everything we do that is Christmas-focused, we change our colors. We focus more on traditional colors that people are accustomed to – the greens and reds, the golds and silvers. We stay away from a lot of the traditional, more patriotic colors, and we change with the season. We do a lot of white, gold and silver willows, where it looks like snow.”

Last year, 100 drones put on a show over the river. This year, that number will double, creating one of the largest — if not the largest — drone shows in our area.

“They are programmed to fly and create symbols of Christmas — Santa, candy canes, a gingerbread man,” Mathews said. “They fly and come into formation to form these symbols of Christmas. It’s a sight to see.”

Music on the Riverview Park stage won’t be the only music that day. The bridge lighting and fireworks show will be set to music.

“We produced the music,” Elkins said, “and the Shreveport Regional Arts Council will take the music for the fireworks show and choreograph the bridge lighting to that. We choreograph the fireworks production to our music track.”

While the best place to see the fireworks will be Riverview Park, you are likely to get a good view from anywhere in and near downtown.

“This will be a very intense show,” Elkins said. These shells climb 500 feet in the air. That’s 200-300 feet higher than the Horseshoe Casino. You’re going to see this show from anywhere around the downtown space.”

Downtown Shreveport has been in the news lately, primarily due to crime in certain areas. Mathews believes Rockets Over the Red is an opportunity to showcase that part of the town’s positive side.

“It is to prove that there is another side to downtown — the festivals and the events. We’ve never had any issues at our festivals or events in downtown Shreveport. There is another side of Shreveport. We work closely with the Shreveport Police Department to make sure everybody is safe and feels safe.”

To learn more about Rockets Over the Red, you may visit rocketsoverthered.com.