At the Rappville Christmas Party the celebrations ended with a spectacular light display – without using fireworks. Richmond Valley mayor Robert Mustow flicked the lever and turned on the Christmas tree lights outside the new community centre at Rappville, and then the laser light display began.

Clinton Swanson from Mr Fireworks International said he used four laser lights in the display at Rappville. The lasers are projected onto flying particles in the air, he said.

Clinton and his brother Shane Swanson run the 60 year old family fireworks business and both are trained pyrotechnicians.

But their skillset is changing.

The interest in laser shows is growing quite rapidly, Clinton said.

This year the business did 32 laser shows in the Northern Rivers compared to 15 last year.

“Laser is accepted as environmentally-friendly,” Clinton said.

“Fireworks have more guilt attached to them.”

It wasn’t for everyone though, he said and his business offers traditional fireworks, laser light shows or a mixture of both.

“It’s like cats and dogs,” he said.

People who like fireworks, like them, and that’s what they want, he said.

The demand though is changing and Clinton is going over to laser to future-proof the business.

“Lasers are animal-friendly,” he said.

“Lasers are versatile and we can produce light show at any event. Fireworks need more room and are a greater risk.”

Find out more at the Mr Fireworks International Facebook page.

Here are more photos from the Rappville Christmas Party.

Hello Santa, The new community hall.
Photos: Contributed

This article appeared on indyNR.com on 16 December 2022.