America is just about to celebrate her 236th birthday on July 4th, and there’s only one way to do that — with a bang, boom, crash and big, bright lights in the sky! Ever wonder who’s behind the biggest firework show in the country? Well we’ve got the answer — Gary Souza, fireworks designer extraordinaire, heir to his family’s legendary fireworks business, and the master pyro-technician behind this year’s Macy’s show.

Gary told us what new fireworks we can expect to see this year, gave us the low down on the Souza family’s passion for their craft,and revealed their long-standing motto — “Start big and end bigger!” Check it all out here and don’t forget to tune into NBC July 4th at 9PM EST to see the show:

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