NEW ORLEANS— Thanks to the pandemic we only have last year’s pictures of the fireworks on the river, but that doesn’t mean folks aren’t planning to do their own thing.

Ryan Templet of Captain C’s Fireworks said, “We’ve seen a bit of an uptick at certain times. Last year for the 4th of July the city had cancelled their fireworks display and and we’d seen an uptick there as well.”

Consumer fireworks are legal in most of the area outside of Orleans Parish, and if you’re popping your own, safety with social distancing and what you set off must be a priority.

Templet said, “You can be cautious with fireworks and be outdoors and not have to be cramped up inside”

Uziah Dixon knew exactly what he was looking for. He said, “I like Black Cats because you put them on the ground and they just start popping everywhere.”

Earl Egan of Redzone Fireworks in Laplace said that Dixon is not alone. TOLD US

According to Egan, Everybody wants the pretty stuff for midnight. Big 500g cakes, everybody wants the big explosion, what goes the highest, what goes the biggest.”

Also popular this year, is anything that smokes.

Templet says, “We have the regular smoke balls that are traditional, we have smoke grenades, where you pull the cord down and it lasts for about a half minute to a minute. We have something called 6 minute smoke where it lasts for 6 minutes. It’s really evolved. All fireworks have evolved since I was a kid and you were a kid.”