We bought $100 worth of fireworks in Sacramento. Watch us blow up the best ones

Even the little things in life — like the joy of exploding color — cost money. Sometimes, a lot of it.

As the Fourth of July approaches, firework stands have appeared across Sacramento as the country prepares to celebrate Independence Day.

We set out to see how far we could stretch $100 on fireworks. Watch us blow up the best of them, then, we’ll break down the costs:

Watch us blow up fireworks

A Sacramento Bee reporter visited a local Phantom fireworks stand on Wednesday — the first day fireworks were legally on sale. The stand, located at 5230 Folsom Blvd., held a variety of options. Prices ranged from $3.99 to $499.99, before sales taxes.

Fireworks were being sold individually and bundled in packages. All varied by sound, color, and size of explosions.

Watch us blow up eight of the fireworks we bought (don’t worry, we got more than that for $100. We’ll break that down next.):

What can $100 get you at a fireworks stand?

The $100 wasn’t close to covering the costs of the priciest items, but it secured enough for a small, family-friendly celebration.

The lowest-priced firework at the Phantom stand was the 12-piece Color Smoke Ball pack listed for $3.99, excluding sales taxes, and the most expensive package was the Iwo Jima listed for $499.99.

The most expensive package available online is listed for almost $2,000 in the 2023 Phantom Fireworks online catalog.

What we bought for $100:

The salesperson told us the best options for our budget that would work for family-friendly gatherings:

1. The Phantom Chamber of Sparks package for $69.99, before sales tax

2. The Luminescence Fountain for $21.99, before sales tax

Full disclosure: We were three cents over budget, coming in at $100.03.

The Phantom Chamber of Sparks package includes 13 different fireworks, which would go for about $160 when purchased individually.

Here’s what the package included:

1. Spark Plug Fountain

2. Large Golden Flower Fountain

3. Large Friendship Fountain

4. Jr. Cuckoo Fountain (3 piece)

5. Jade & Butterfly Flowers Fountain

6. Blue Star & Golden Silver Flower Fountain

7. Tiger’s Fury Fountain

8. Face Off Fountain

9. Phantom Firepit Fountain

10. Wolf Pack Snaps (box)

11. A-Punk (box)

12. Party Popper

13. Candle Large

How did they explode?

Face Off Fountain

Jr. Cuckoo Fountain

Spark Plug Fountain

Luminescence Fountain

Where can you purchase fireworks?

TNT and Phantom Fireworks locations

Have questions about life in Sacramento? Email servicejournalists@sacbee.com.