HOLIDAY FIREWORKS NEVER GET OLD:'RED, WHITE AND BOOM' SHOW RETURNS TO SANTA ROSA FAIRGROUNDS WITH FLASH, MUSIC

Today's fireworks are light years beyond the original Chinese concoctions of sulfur, charcoal and bamboo that lit up 12th-century skies.

But the basic playbook for patriotic displays of firepower hasn't changed much over the years: "The general philosophy is to start off with a bunch of noise to get people's attention and let them see where it's coming from," says Jeff Thomas, Pyro Spectaculars show producer.

"We start out slow and pick up the pace as it gets closer to the end, varying that pace throughout the show. It always climaxes with a finale where about one-third of the shells go off in a minute."

The nearly century-old pyrotechnics company, which has staged numerous Olympics and Super Bowl extravaganzas (even supplying explosives for Francis Ford Coppola's "Apocalypse Now"), is shooting off fireworks at this year's Red White and Boom in Santa Rosa.

At dawn on Sunday morning, around a dozen employees will begin setting up hardware and mortars, later attaching the electronic circuitry that will ignite the shells, shooting them 600 to 1,000 feet in the air.

Long before that, Pyro Spectaculars employees make the annual pilgrammage to the town of Liuyang, China -- ground zero for fireworks innovation -- where hundreds of manufacturers peddle their latest explosives.

"We go over to China and look around and try to see what's new and different," says Thomas.

Then they take them back for testing at a 160-acre former military compound in the desert outside Rialto in Southern California. Along with rich, saturated colors, flashing strobe shells and simulated characters like peace signs and smiley faces, one of the biggest innovations is consistency. Gone are the days "when you'd shoot 10 shells and six of them might work and four might not," says Thomas.

As the Fourth of July draws nearer, event producers (Santa Rosa Active 20-30 Club, Santa Rosa Firefighters Local 1401 and Santa Rosa Police Officers Association) team up with KZST radio personality Brent Farris to synch the performance with songs like Ray Charles' "America the Beautiful," Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA" and a few spoken word passages like James Earl Jones narrating the U.S. Constitution.

Then, when thousands show up for the Red White and Boom extravaganza at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds, "no matter how old you are, you feel like a little kid again," says David Hagele, 20/30 Club co-chair. "Talk about the ultimate in 3-D ... It's better than 'Avatar' -- you literally feel the ground shake."

Starting off with Red, White and Boom, here's a Top 5 handicapped cheat sheet to Independence Day in Sonoma County:

Best Bang for the Buck: Red White and Boom at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds, 1350 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa. Gates open at 4 p.m. Fireworks at 9:45 p.m. Bands: Pat Jordan, Wonder Bread 5, Blue Rock and High Speed Wobble. Admission: $7 adults/$3 kids. Parking: $5. Proceeds benefit Schools Plus. 578-7800.

Best Pre-Fourth Celebration: Fireworks over Bodega Bay at Westside Park, 2400 Westshore Road on Saturday, July 3. Free. Also, look for "The Birds" actress Tippi Hedren signing autographs at the Tides Wharf gift shop both Saturday and Sunday. 875-3866.

Best Parade of Boats: Monte Rio Independence Day Celebration kicks off along the Russian River with the Big Rocky Games and barbecue at 11 a.m. Saturday July 3. At dusk, water carnival, boat parade and water curtain lead up to fireworks. Free. 865-9956.

Best Small-Town Americana Celebration: Tie between Healdsburg's American Legion fireworks show at Healdsburg High School (1024 Prince St., 953-7242) after dusk and Sonoma's Old Fashioned Parade & Celebration, starting in the town plaza at 11 a.m. with parade and live music, later moving to the Vallejo's field for fireworks after dusk. 938-4626. Both free.

Best Charity Event: The B.R. Cohn Winery Charity Car Classic benefits the Salvation Army with live auction, raffle and oodles of funky cars. Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, July 4. 15000 Sonoma Highway, Glen Ellen. www.brcohn.com.

Bay Area freelancer John Beck writes about entertainment for The Press Democrat. You can reach him at 280-8014, john@sideshowvideo.com and follow on Twitter @becksay.