Fireworks in France
 

Off to France in two months for a big family celebration. Renting a villa just outside Saint Tropez and would be interested in either organizing a fireworks display or lighting off our own display. Anyone ideas on who to contact to price out a fireworks display? Also, is it posible to purchase fireworks in France for personal use?

thanks.

France has tended to be fairly liberal on fireworks availability, though that may have changed in recent years. I remember about 5 years ago when my then-15 year old daughter came back from a trip to France and pulled out a couple dozen 6-inch firecrackers as souveneirs for her brother. After we picked ourselves up off the floor (and explained to her that she was fortunate not to be in custody in Paris), she told us it had been Bastille Day, and firecrackers were sold everywhere on the streets.

I'm not sure if the same availability applies to larger skyrockets and shells, but it seems likely. On the other hand, after the very bad fires in the south of France (last year?), they may rather strict in the drier areas.

Fireworks are a huge deal in France, starting with the Fete de la St-Jean at the end of June and going through the Bastille Day celebrations. You can buy fireworks all over. But be forewarned that dozens of kids are injured every year by fireworks in France, where they are largely unregulated and large groups of people congregate and drink and set them off while families are present.
Depending on when you are there, they should be widely available. After all, the French are the "masters" at fireworks. Still, be careful.

Pay attention to the weather and local rules. Given last summer's heat wave and fires in southern France, if it's dry and hot again in July, you may not be allowed to set off fireworks, even if it would be normally allowed, except by professionals.
So if you want a pro (which is what I would highly recommend), you could either contact the St. Tropez tourist office for suggestions or search yourselves with the Pages Jaunes (www.pagesjaunes.fr). A check on the Pages Jaunes under feux d'artifice turned up this contact:
Bulles et Costumes
Centre Commercial Port Cogolin 83310 Cogolin Tel.04 94 56 30 23
fax : .04 94 56 39 31
Activité : ? pyrotechnie ( feux d'artifice - effets spéciaux)

However, if you broaden the Pages Jaunes search and enter "pyrotechnie" under activite and Cote d'Azur under the department or region category, you get 40 possibilities...a good place to start! Have a happy and safe celebration!

Depends on what you intend to use. Large bombs, rockets, etc... can only be sold to people who are licensed to use them (there are two levels of licensing). Smaller items are available to everybody.

You can buy them in a shop (look for "feux d'artifices" and "farces et attrapes". The latter kind of shops usually sells various items for parties and fireworks.

Alternatively, and more interesting IMO (but usually more costly) : buy an already prepared set from a firework company. They genreally have many sets available for non-licensed people, within various price ranges. You have to contact them to find where their resellers are situated, though. The most famous company is Ruggieri (the founders where Louis XIV's artificers and their fireworks were displayed at Versailles). Here a link to their site (in french : you must click on "distributeurs", then on the france map, then on the area you're interested in)

www.lacroix-ruggieri.com/indexb.html


Finally, of course, you can contact the same companies and hire them to organize your firework. It will much more costly, of course, but most certainly much more beautiful.

However : especially in southern France, and especialy during summer, using fireworks might be forbidden. So, you must first keep in touch with the townhall

I forgot : even if fireworks are allowed at the place and date you intend to organize it, you still *must* notify the townhall (mairie) and in a quite precise way (place, hour,type of explosives used...ask the mairie for details).

Warning the neighbors too is of course the appropriate thing to do.

Something else :

If you intend to make your own display, check your insurer. It's not necessarily covered by your policy.


And make sure to have a fire extinguisher, if possible some sand, and the phone number of the firemen handy. Better safe than sorry.