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+--- Topic: PHILLIPS HIGH GRAD HELPS BRING PHILLIPS THE LARGEST INDEPENDENCE DAY FIREWORKS SHOW (/thread-837.html)
PHILLIPS HIGH GRAD HELPS BRING PHILLIPS THE LARGEST INDEPENDENCE DAY FIREWORKS SHOW - My Northern Wisconsin - 06-10-2026
All who gather in and around Elk Lake Park this Independence Day will experience a fireworks show like none other that has been in Phillips, Wisconsin. If you thought last year's show was great, imagine a show that is four times greater, an appropriate way to celebrate something as large as America's 250th birthday and the 150th year of Phillips being founded (on September 23, 1876).
The man helping to make this four-times-as-great show possible is Matt Palas, a Phillips High School graduate. Matt, still having ties to the area through family and friends, has a special place in his heart for Phillips. "I wanted to give back to the community that gave me so many opportunities and wonderful experiences while growing up. I continue to care about this community and the people in it, so when the Chamber of Commerce and City of Phillips were wanting to do something larger for this year's celebration, I agreed to supply the fireworks at cost and to volunteer my time to set off the fireworks with the Phillips Fire Department," Matt said. Matt says he enjoys running the fireworks show with an electronic, high-tech launching system that he purchased a number of years ago and upgraded for this event. He also enjoys seeing everyone enjoying the fireworks show. "It makes me happy to see others happy," he added.
This show has been many years in the making. About fifteen years ago, Matt started setting small fireworks off in the back yard of the home of his mom and stepdad, Jan and Don Fox. He invited close friends and family, and each year he made the show a little better. When the back yard became too small for his friends and family, he moved it to a field. In 2022, he had a much larger show planned, so he brought it to Badger's Den, opening the event up to the public with his donated fireworks show. Family and friends helped with setting up the fireworks. A year or two later, Matt purchased an electronic board to ignite them. For the 2004 show, he had additional assistance from Austin, a fireworks salesman he met years prior at a fireworks tent. After three years of setting off the fireworks from the softball field, the bar closed, and Matt needed to find another location. A local friend of his suggested South Fork, and it was held there in 2025. This year, Matt and Austin, along with the Phillips Fire Department, will have their biggest audience yet with everyone invited to watch a magnificent display of fireworks from Elk Lake Park, starting at 10 p.m. or shortly thereafter. With larger fireworks and four times as many as last year, a longer than normal show is expected. The rain date is July 5.
The article continues after the photo.
Submitted photo.
With the launch of this larger event, Matt opened a fireworks tent in Prentice under the name of Palas Pyro, LLC. Matt shared, "This isn't my full-time job, but I want to help the community, and opening this tent is one way that people can support the event. On top of that, the fireworks for sale at the tent will be significantly cheaper than normal." If you would like to help this show stay in Phillips, you can shop at the Palas Pyro fireworks tent on the corner of Hwy. 8 and County Road A in Prentice, Wisconsin, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., every day, from June 8 though July 6. A portion of the proceeds supports the show. Plus, if you mention to the salesperson that you saw this on My Price County, you will receive 10% off your fireworks purchase at the tent.
Another way to show your support is to follow the Palas Pyro, LLC Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61564691472380.
In the future, Matt plans to set up pre-orders so that people can place their fireworks orders in advance and have their fireworks ready for events like Independence Day, weddings, birthdays, or other important celebrations. If you have an interest in larger-scale orders, contact 715-415-3873.
Written by: Lynne Bohn