Fireworks are typically a no-go in Powell city limits, but city leaders are again making an exception for a summer show at the Park County Fairgrounds.

Last week, the Powell City Council granted permission to DSE to put on a pyrotechnic display from 9-11 p.m. on Saturday, June 17. The Powell fireworks retailer’s demonstration in the grandstands will be preceded by a figure 8 race at 4 p.m.

DSE owner Dustin Short held a similar event at the fairgrounds in June 2022, though it featured a dirt bike race. In an interview, Short said they shot off 78 of their products for the potential customers in the crowd and closed with roughly seven minutes of fireworks set to music. It ended around 10:30 p.m.

“We had some decent conversation about these hours last year [and] came to the conclusion they would hopefully be OK,” Powell Mayor John Wetzel recounted at the Feb. 6 council meeting. Ultimately, Wetzel said he didn’t receive any complaints about the 2022 show and council members indicated they didn’t, either. The body unanimously voted to grant permission for this year’s fireworks to run as late as 11 p.m.

Short said he plans to again show off his new and standout products with an even bigger finale: a roughly 10-minute pyromusical based on “The Greatest Showman.”

There was no charge for last year’s event and the 9 p.m. fireworks show will remain free to attend this year. However, Short will be charging ($10 for general admission) for the figure 8 race to help cover costs, including a nearly $14,000 purse; the event will feature cars racing around a criss-cross track that brings the potential for collisions.

Short will also stage a second figure 8 race during the Park County Fair, on Friday, July 28.

It will be the first time in more than a decade that the fair has featured such a race and Short says interest among drivers is already high.