Prickly Pear Community Firework Celebration

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Prickly Pear Community Firework Celebration For decades, the show brought together residents from across the region and became a hallmark of East Helena’s Fourth of July celebration.

Prickly Pear Community Celebration exists to continue a tradition that began in 1957 by producing a safe, community-funded Independence Day fireworks celebration that unites families, honors our nation’s heritage, and strengthens the spirit of Helena and The East Helena Fireworks Show has been a cherished community tradition since 1957, when Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10010 began funding and organizing the annual Independence Day display in honor of veterans and their families. In 2010, as rising costs made it increasingly difficult for the VFW to continue funding the event, community member Karl Meagher stepped forward to preserve the tradition. Through his nonprofit organization, Prickly Pear Fireworks, and with the support of Richard MacDonald, the show continued for seven years through community-raised funding. As costs continued to increase, the future of the show once again became uncertain. Determined not to lose a tradition that had defined generations of Independence Day celebrations, local business owners Shellie & Aimee stepped in to help revive and sustain the event through expanded community fundraising efforts. Today, the East Helena Fireworks Show continues as a fully community-funded event, supported by local businesses and residents who believe in preserving this longstanding tradition for future generations. Prickly Pear Community Celebration is a public charitable 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

07/05/2026

🎆 THE SHOW IS STARTING NOW! 🎆

East Helena, look to the sky — it’s time!

Tune in to 105.3 KMTX-FM for the music, enjoy the show, and celebrate with us as we light up the East Helena sky tonight. 🇺🇸🎇

📍 Fireworks launched from the American Chemet slag pile
📻 Music on 105.3 KMTX-FM

We would love to see the show through your eyes!

📸 Please comment all of your wonderful photos below so we can share in the magic together.

Thank you for helping make this tradition possible. Enjoy the show, East Helena! 🎆

🇺🇸 Tonight, we celebrate. 🇺🇸We celebrate 250 years of American history.We celebrate freedom.We celebrate the men and wom...
07/05/2026

🇺🇸 Tonight, we celebrate. 🇺🇸

We celebrate 250 years of American history.
We celebrate freedom.
We celebrate the men and women who have served and sacrificed.
We celebrate the families, businesses, and neighbors who make East Helena such a special place to call home.
And tonight, we celebrate together under a sky full of fireworks.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this year’s show possible.

🎆 Fireworks begin at 10:30 PM
📍 American Chemet slag pile
📻 Tune in to 105.3 KMTX-FM for the music

There is still time to donate and help us reach our minimum goal:

✨ https://givebutter.com/EH250

Happy Fourth of July, East Helena! 🇺🇸🎇

Join East Helena in celebrating 250 years of freedom. Help fund our annual community fireworks tradition and keep the Fourth of July shining bright.

🎆 This is what community looks like. 🎆The East Helena fireworks show is not just about the fireworks.It is families load...
07/05/2026

🎆 This is what community looks like. 🎆

The East Helena fireworks show is not just about the fireworks.

It is families loading up lawn chairs. Kids asking, “Is it starting yet?” Friends saving spots. Neighbors waving from across the street. Radios playing. The first boom echoing across town. And everyone looking up at the same Montana sky.

This tradition happens because our community makes it happen.

Thank you to every sponsor, donor, volunteer, business, family, and supporter who helped bring tonight’s show to life.

There is still time to help us reach our minimum goal:

✨ https://givebutter.com/EH250

See you under the fireworks, East Helena! 🇺🇸🎇

Join East Helena in celebrating 250 years of freedom. Help fund our annual community fireworks tradition and keep the Fourth of July shining bright.

07/05/2026

🎆 Fireworks Show Reminder! 🎆

Tonight’s East Helena fireworks show begins at 10:30 PM from the American Chemet slag pile.

Find your favorite viewing spot, bring your family, tune in to 105.3 KMTX-FM, and get ready for a show that lights up the whole East Helena sky.

📍 Location: American Chemet slag pile
🕥 Time: 10:30 PM
📻 Music: 105.3 KMTX-FM

Please be safe, respectful of private property, and help keep our community clean by packing out anything you bring with you.

We cannot wait to celebrate with you tonight! 🇺🇸🎇

🎆 To everyone who has donated — thank you. 🎆Whether you gave $5, $25, $100, sponsored the show, bought 3D glasses, share...
07/05/2026

🎆 To everyone who has donated — thank you. 🎆

Whether you gave $5, $25, $100, sponsored the show, bought 3D glasses, shared a post, told a friend, or helped spread the word, you are part of making tonight happen.

This fireworks show is truly community-funded, and every single donation matters.

Because of you, families will gather tonight, kids will look up in awe, neighbors will celebrate together, and East Helena will light up the sky once again.

Thank you for showing up for this tradition. 🇺🇸🎇

There is still time to donate and help us reach our minimum goal:

✨ https://givebutter.com/EH250

Join East Helena in celebrating 250 years of freedom. Help fund our annual community fireworks tradition and keep the Fourth of July shining bright.

🎆 We’re almost there, East Helena! 🎆Tonight is the night, and we are getting so close to our minimum fundraising goal fo...
07/04/2026

🎆 We’re almost there, East Helena! 🎆

Tonight is the night, and we are getting so close to our minimum fundraising goal for this year’s fireworks show.

Every dollar helps cover the fireworks, licensing, permits, tax and regulatory requirements, marketing, posters, mailers, design, and all the behind-the-scenes costs it takes to make this celebration happen.

If you have been waiting until show day to donate, this is your moment. ❤️

✨ Donate here:
https://givebutter.com/EH250

Thank you for helping us light up the East Helena sky tonight! 🇺🇸🎇

Join East Helena in celebrating 250 years of freedom. Help fund our annual community fireworks tradition and keep the Fourth of July shining bright.

07/04/2026

🎆 **Thank You, Big Sky Fireworks!** 🎆

A huge thank you to **Big Sky Fireworks** for the incredible work they put into bringing tonight’s show to life.

A fireworks show like this does not just happen when the first shell lights up the sky. It takes planning, setup, safety, timing, precision, long hours, and a crew that knows how to turn a dark Montana sky into something unforgettable.

Big Sky Fireworks is the team behind the booms, the color, the sparkle, and those moments where the whole crowd goes quiet right before the next burst lights up the night.

And let’s be honest — they know how to put on the kind of show that makes your chest vibrate. 🎇

Thank you, Big Sky Fireworks, for helping us create a celebration our community will remember.

We cannot wait to look up together tonight! 🇺🇸🎆

🎆 **Major Sponsor Spotlight: Town Pump** 🎆Today, we want to give a huge thank you to **Town Pump** for their incredible ...
07/04/2026

🎆 **Major Sponsor Spotlight: Town Pump** 🎆

Today, we want to give a huge thank you to **Town Pump** for their incredible support of this year’s East Helena fireworks show!

Town Pump has once again stepped up in a big way with a **$30,000 match**, helping every donation go even further as we work toward our minimum goal for tonight’s show.

Their support helps cover not only the fireworks themselves, but also the licensing, permits, tax and regulatory requirements, marketing, mailers, posters, design, and all the behind-the-scenes details it takes to bring this celebration to life.

Community traditions like this happen because businesses like Town Pump continue to show up, give back, and invest in the people and places they serve.

Thank you, Town Pump, for helping us light up the East Helena sky and make this celebration possible for our whole community! 🇺🇸🎇

There is still time to donate and help us reach our minimum goal:

✨ **Donate here:**
https://givebutter.com/EH250

Join East Helena in celebrating 250 years of freedom. Help fund our annual community fireworks tradition and keep the Fourth of July shining bright.

🇺🇸 **Honoring Those Who Serve** 🇺🇸As we celebrate tonight with fireworks, family, and community, we also pause to rememb...
07/04/2026

🇺🇸 **Honoring Those Who Serve** 🇺🇸

As we celebrate tonight with fireworks, family, and community, we also pause to remember why these freedoms mean so much.

The ability to gather, celebrate, speak freely, worship freely, build our lives, raise our families, and come together as a community has been protected by generations of brave men and women who answered the call to serve.

To our veterans, active-duty military members, reservists, National Guard members, and their families — thank you.

Thank you for your service, your sacrifice, and your commitment to preserving the freedoms we celebrate tonight.

As the fireworks light up the East Helena sky, may they remind us not only of celebration, but also of gratitude. 🇺🇸🎆

There is still time to help us reach our minimum goal for tonight’s show:

✨ **Donate here:**
https://givebutter.com/EH250

Join East Helena in celebrating 250 years of freedom. Help fund our annual community fireworks tradition and keep the Fourth of July shining bright.

🇺🇸 **Celebrating 250 Years** 🇺🇸Today, as we gather for the East Helena fireworks show, we are celebrating more than just...
07/04/2026

🇺🇸 **Celebrating 250 Years** 🇺🇸

Today, as we gather for the East Helena fireworks show, we are celebrating more than just a night of lights in the sky.

We are celebrating **250 years of American history**, the freedoms we cherish, the communities we build, and the people who continue to show up for one another.

Here in East Helena, this tradition has always been about more than fireworks. It is about families spreading out blankets, kids waiting for the first boom, neighbors waving to each other, and a community coming together under one big Montana sky.

We are so proud to be part of this celebration, and we are grateful for every sponsor, donor, volunteer, business, and community member who helped make tonight possible.

There is still time to help us reach our minimum goal for the show:

✨ **Donate here:**
https://givebutter.com/EH250

Tonight, we celebrate together. 🇺🇸🎆

Join East Helena in celebrating 250 years of freedom. Help fund our annual community fireworks tradition and keep the Fourth of July shining bright.

Address

1803 Cedar Street
Helena, MT
59601

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