Fireworks Pro Donates 15-Minute Show to Blenheim School

Michelle Harris will operate the fireworks display for the 38th annual Lights Over Marlborough fundraiser on Saturday, 14 November, at the Marlborough A & P Showground. The 15-minute show, which supports Whitney Street School, is sponsored by Ray White and expects an audience of approximately 6,000 people.

Harris has never missed the event, which began as a small gathering on the school grounds 38 years ago. She began preparing for this year's performance in July, using software to synchronize the music track with the pyrotechnics. The display will feature Comets, Slices, and Star Shells supplied by a New Zealand vendor. Tickets cost $10 per person or $40 for a family of five, with children under five entering for free.

Harris earned her registered pyrotechnic license after working for five years under technician Phillip Rayner, who transferred the role to her. She has operated under her own license for eight years. Her entry into the profession began on Guy Fawkes Night in 2012, when she sprinted between her garden and the street to watch neighbors' displays. Kelvin Holdaway of Fireworks NZ saw her excitement and later offered her a job at an Omaka show.

This year, Harris's 21-year-old son Kaige will assist with the show. He joined her company, Kiwi Pyro, three years ago and will be responsible for pushing the launch button. Harris states that she is pedantic about the visual quality and wants the presentation to look amazing.

Safety protocols include liaising with Fire and Emergency and alerting the neighborhood in advance. Harris also contacts the pound, the SPCA, and Marlborough Four Paws to notify animal owners. She does not support a ban on private firework sales, arguing that people should be allowed to light sparklers in their back gardens without being punished for one person's mistake.

The show will run from 5.30 pm to 9.30 pm. Harris will map firing sites and calculate wind direction and speed to determine firework trajectories. She notes that every firework has a specific lift time and duration, which she matches to the audio peaks of the music track.