Gary Schatz likes to blow things up, and the Marietta community can thank him for it. Schatz, a certified pyrotechnician, is the driving force behind Marietta Fireworks, a nonprofit organization that puts on an annual fireworks show. This year's display will begin at approximately 9:15 p.m. on Saturday, July 3, in War Memorial Park, 344 E. Walnut St. The rain date for the event is Sunday, July 4.

"Fireworks have been a passion of mine since the early '80s," said Schatz. "I like doing the layout and the design of the show."

Marietta had a fireworks show for years, but eventually the organizers of the event were no longer able to put on the display. In 2017, after two years without fireworks in Marietta, Schatz came on board. The first fireworks show under his direction happened in 2018.

"I jumped in and was like, 'We can do this. We can get this done,'" he recalled, noting that he handles fundraising for the fireworks and also recruits people to help with the event. "I don't give up."

Still, passion alone isn't enough to put on a successful show. It takes a lot of hard work, Schatz emphasized. "It's so expensive to do a good fireworks show, and it's so in-depth in terms of planning," he stated. "I work on this year-round, from getting the proper permits to fundraising to getting people on board to help with our committee."

Marietta Fireworks is run entirely by volunteers. Most of the fundraising comes from donation request letters and Facebook posts. "We've gotten a really great response from the community," Schatz noted. "If it wasn't for individuals, businesses and organizations supporting us, it wouldn't happen."

Before the fireworks begin, Community Bible Church will host a variety of family-friendly activities beginning at 5 p.m. The church, located at 331 Anderson Ferry Road, Marietta, makes a perfect spot for viewing the fireworks, Schatz said. Festivities at the church include will food trucks, a barrel train for children, yard games and a bounce house. Juggler Chris Ivey will perform at 7 p.m. Donations will be accepted upon entrance to the parking lot, and all proceeds will go to Marietta Fireworks.

Schatz said the fireworks display will be bigger and better than ever this year, noting that last year's show opened with 13 "cakes" or boxes containing hundreds of firework shells. "It looked so incredible," he said. "I'm planning on doing even more cakes this year. Last year we had the biggest finale I've ever seen in a show. It was two minutes and 21 seconds, and that length is just unheard of. Wait 'til you see what we have in store for this year."

For more information on Marietta Fireworks, to donate or to watch a livestream of the event, search for "Marietta Fireworks" on Facebook. Donations are also accepted by PayPal.