Christmas light show in Belmar will be explosive as pyrotechnics come back
After a few years on the down-low, pyrotechnics are coming back to the Christmas Light Show.
The popular production, in its second year at Pyanoe Plaza in Belmar after 15 years in Wall, will be shown Saturday, Dec. 9, and Sunday, Dec. 17, both at 6 p.m.
Pyrotechnics were a big part of the show in Wall, but had to be scratched in 2020 (when the show was virtual) and 2021 and minimized in 2022 as the show was reconfigured while changing locations.
“We are going to have some pyrotechnics this year,” said lead producer Dan Brateris, a Wall resident and New Jersey Institute of Technology professor. “We had small ones last year, but they’ll be a little more a little more formidable this year. Last year the show had to be completely rebuilt with new programming.”
The free show raises money through donations for RallyCap Sports, a local nonprofit that sponsors sports programs for special-needs children. Suggested donations are $25 for a family of four and $10 for an individual adult.
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This year’s show will feature “thousands of lights, fire and computerized effects, all synchronized to a thundering concert-sized sound system,” Brateris said, and will last about 30 minutes. That’s nearly double last year’s length, because the producers have a better handle on the setting at the Connelly-Campion-Wright building at Pyanoe Plaza, which is located at Ninth Avenue and Main Street in Belmar.
“This being the second year having the show at this location in Belmar, I think we’ll have a great turnout,” Brateris said. “Everything was kind of last-minute last year.”
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Parking is located in the Belmar Mall parking lot and surrounding streets. Attendees are advised to arrive 20 to 30 minutes prior to show time, dress warm and carpool if possible. In the past, crowds have numbered in the thousands.
Brateris, 38, has been spearheading this show since his days as a college student along with his brother Brian Brateris and longtime crew members Trevor Ferguson, Mike Roberti, David Lippman and Matt Pinnella. All of them are volunteers.
“We’re really happy to keep supporting RallyCap Sports and keep the local tradition going,” he said. “It brings the community together for a good cause. I hope we’re able to keep doing it for a long time.”
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In the event of poor weather, the show may be rescheduled. Visit www.TheChristmasLightShow.com after 2 p.m. on the day of the show for status information.
Jerry Carino is community columnist for the Asbury Park Press, focusing on the Jersey Shore’s interesting people, inspiring stories and pressing issues. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Belmar Christmas light show returns; dates and time here
