The huge tents appear every year in late June, popping up on busy roads, their large signs encouraging motorists to stop and look at the fireworks for sale.
But this year is different. As the Fourth of July nears, the tents are in place, but there are fewer customers, some vendors say.
And those who do make purchases are buying the lower-priced items, said Tom Carney, who has operated a fireworks tent on Route 11 in Danville for the past five years.
“People are saying they’re watching their money,” he said Sunday.
Carney also has noticed a drop in the number of cars coming off Interstate 80.
“We haven’t seen nearly as many out-of-staters as normal,” the Danville resident said.
John Mumper runs the TNT tent at Route 15 and St. Mary Street in Lewisburg, and said he wasn’t sure how the economy would affect sales. This is his seventh year at the stand.
“But by judging by sales so far,” the Lewisburg resident said, “I’d say people are staying home and doing their fireworks here.”
Mumper said he expected sales to increase considerably this week.
Mike Jacobs runs the TNT Fireworks tent in front of Wal-Mart in Shamokin Dam and said his business has been good.
“Judging by the few days we’ve been here, it’s getting better,” the Middleburg resident said.
Despite just opening on Thursday, the stand has been seeing about the same number of people as in other years, and Jacobs attributed that to a number of regulars who return every holiday season.
They’ve returned this year even though prices of fireworks have gone up, he said.
“Then again, so has most everything else,” he said. “You expect prices to go up.”
Even the more pessimistic vendors haven’t given up hope of selling their merchandise.
Carney and his two sons sat at their tent, reading books and continuing the family tradition of running the seasonal business.
“Some have a family farm,” Carney said. “We have a family fireworks tent.”
n Staff reporter Rick Dandes contributed to this article.
News
Fireworks sales sputter, vendors say
- News
-
-
Memorial Day Observances
Here is a listing of Memorial Day events this weekend in the Central Susquehanna Valley.
-
Four charged in ripoffs that hurt eight local senior citizens
Four Philadelphia men have been charged with operating an elaborate scam that targeted hundreds of elderly residents across Pennsylvania, including eight Valley seniors.
-
Midd-West taxpayers face increase of $109
MIDDLEBURG — The Midd-West School District on Thursday night announced an average property tax increase of $109 to help offset its $1.8 million budget deficit for the 2012-13 school year.
Midd-West will also close two elementary schools, consolidate two middle schools, cut programs and furlough seven teachers and 23 other staff members. -
Jokester cop tased intern at station
NORTHUMBERLAND — A Northumberland police detective claims in a lawsuit filed Wednesday he was wrongly blamed after an officer shot an intern with a Taser gun while fooling around at the police station in December.
-
Jerry Sandusky charity to shut down and transfer programs
PHILADELPHIA — The charity for troubled youths started by Jerry Sandusky more than three decades ago — and through which the retired Penn State assistant football coach met the boys he is charged with sexually abusing — said today it is seeking court approval to shut down and transfer its programs to a Texas-based youth ministry that serves abused and neglected children.
-
Man pleads guilty in 2006 Penn State student death
STATE COLLEGE — A man whose murder conviction was previously thrown out in the fatal beating of a Penn State student six years ago has pleaded guilty in the killing under a deal with prosecutors.
-
Streaker at Phillies-Cardinals game last night lost a bet
ST. LOUIS — The streaker who ran naked onto the field during a Cardinals game says he did so because he lost a bet.
-
Privately-operated Dragon capsule arrives at space station
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Space station astronauts have captured the Dragon. The privately bankrolled Dragon capsule arrived at the International Space Station today, making history as the first commercial delivery truck in orbit
-
10 Things to Know Today
Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today (times EDT):
-
LARA: Charred bridge sound
LEWISBURG — The fire-damaged railroad bridge crossing the Susquehanna River at Lewisburg is structurally sound following the March fire that discolored steel and charred roughly 400 ties, the Lewisburg Area Recreation Authority said at its meeting Thursday.
-
Stat of the Day: $2.6 million
Stat of the Day: $2.6 million.
That's what President Barack Obama has spent on advertising in Iowa, which may be a battleground state in November's election against presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney.
-
Northampton County jury sentences man to death in officer killing
EASTON — Jurors in eastern Pennsylvania have sentenced a man to death for fatally shooting a police officer last summer.
- More News Headlines
-



