Patriots Point Fireworks Draw Complaints

Patriots Point officials are huddling today to discuss how to improve its fireworks show in the wake of complaints.

"This was such a lousy experience for everyone land side," wrote one guest on Facebook. "The trees obstructed the view of the show, whic(h) was placed off to the right. Everyone left early, having wasted their night. Terrible!"

Patriots Point for the first time this year launched its fireworks from a barge in the Cooper River. It promised the show, with larger 8-inch rounds, would be the "biggest and best yet," but the changes didn't make everyone happy.

"We're disappointed that some of the guests left unhappy," said Ashley Smith, Patriots Point spokeswoman. "We're meeting with our staff like we do every week to discuss what went well and what we could improve."

Tickets for $10 were sold to watch the show from the USS Yorktown flight deck where the fireworks had been launched in previous years. Smith said those particular guests left happy.

Other guests, however, paid a $10 parking fee to watch the show from land, and those guests may not have had the best view, Smith admits. Even Patriots Point organizers were surprised with how far upriver the fireworks barge was placed, and that may have put the show behind a grove of trees.

"The barge's location had to do with some of the tidal issues, safety and the depth of water," Smith said. "We're not placing blame on anyone. We just didn't foresee it being a problem."

Patriots Point, which has been experimenting with a range of new events and offerings in the wake of financial trouble and new management, funded the show along with contributions from the Town of Mount Pleasant and the City of Charleston.

Guests said they had for years gone to Patriots Point to watch the show, but the changes left them crestfallen.

"All me and my 5-year-old saw for our time, trouble and money was trees with sparkly things behind them," one Facebook user wrote. "So disappointed."