Sunday Sit Down: Jerry Jones of Zambelli Fireworks

In this edition Sunday Sit-Down I spoke with Jerry Jones, contractor for Zambelli Fireworks.  We discussed what it takes to put on a show at Coors Field, favorite shows from the past, and what it was like doing a rain delay show.

Zambelli Fireworks is a fireworks company, with its Colorado operations based out of Boca Raton, Florida.  They put on countless shows throughout Colorado, including Coors Field.  The company was founded in Naples, Italy by Antonio Zambelli in 1893. Zambelli immigrated to the United States and established “Zambelli Fireworks Manufacturing Company”.

Rox Pile: How many shows do you guy put on at Coors per year?

JJ: Three large shows and three to five smaller ones.  My boss (Ernie Simms) runs the bigger shows and I assist him on those while I run the smaller shows.  Both of us will be at Coors on the 10th for that show.

Rox Pile: Did you do the rain delay show earlier this year?

“When Todd Helton made that catch to end it, everyone around me was yelling and screaming celebrating”

JJ: Yes I did, I was there for that.

Rox Pile: How did that work out since you guys normally wait till the end of the game?  Was that the first time you have done anything like that with the weather?

JJ:  They had to get MLB approval for us to do that.  We got real wet, but all the product stayed dry and it turned out pretty good.  During a rain delay no, but I’ve shot through rain and snow.  Just about through everything except high winds.

RP: I thought that was pretty cool they did that for the fans that stuck around. What was your most memorable show at Coors?

JJ: We did a close proximity show, a little bit different from the big areal shows we normally do. That was for the 2007 NLCS, game 4 against the Diamondbacks.  The game that sent the Rockies to the World Series.  When Todd Helton made that catch to end it, everyone around me was yelling and screaming celebrating, while I had to be the guy that concentrated.  It was complete chaos, people around us, crew members and such.  With most of us being from Colorado it was a big deal for us.

RP: If I remember correctly it was wet and cold during that series, does that present any challenges for you?

JJ:  No, we do shows in Colorado year round.  We do three shows in Steamboat Springs and we do that in colder weather, New years, Valentines Day and St. Patrick’s Day.  The show during New Year’s was twenty-two degrees below when we did that show.

RP: Doing a large show like at Coors, how long does it take you to prepare for something like that?

JJ: Usually about two weeks to design the show and about five days to prep for the show.  Two days in the warehouse getting things ready and about three days at Coors setting things up.

RP: How much fireworks go into a show at Coors?

JJ:  Shows that most average sized towns put on for the Fourth of July would be about the same as what the Rockies do for one of their three big shows.

When’s the next time we can see one of your shows at Coors?

JJ:  July tenth, that’s going to be their Fourth of July show since they’re on the road right now.

Big thanks to Mr. Jones and everyone over at Zambelli, they put on ten shows yesterday for the fourth.  You can see their next show at Coors on July 10th.