Tamworth's own 'pyrotechnic priest' Father Anthony Koppman, aptly nicknamed Holy Smoke, is locked in to light-up the country music festival's opening night with a burst of fireworks.
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The local Catholic from St Patrick's Church in West Tamworth is a licensed pyrotechnician and has been setting-off the fireworks display to officially mark the start of the Tamworth Country Music Festival (TCMF), for the past decade.
Spectators will be able to view the colourful theatre of explosions shoot 100 metres into the sky from about 9.30pm, following the opening concert being held in Toyota Park on Friday, January 19.
But Fr Koppman recommends pulling up a chair or a makeshift "Esky" seat from 9pm at any vantage point across the city. He recommends the hillier sides of Tamworth in the east and west or in the park itself, just in case the fireworks start earlier than planned.
This year, Fr Koppman said he has chosen more fireworks that explode into a variety of colours with special effects and speed a factor more-so than the impressive pop, crackle and whizz noises.
"I call it my artwork in the sky, as I am creating something quite unique that hopefully not many people have seen before," Fr Koppman said of the regional city's annual tradition.
His trusty sidekick, therapy dog Veena, who provides onsite support and reassurance for the community's police, will be hidden safely inside a soundproof doghouse for the duration of the six-minute firework display.
He highly recommends other pet owners do the same to look after their "furry friends" and put them somewhere safe where they won't be impacted by the noise.
"A lot of pet owners put their animals inside or in their garage when they're watching the show," Fr Koppman said.
Veena, a friendly golden Labrador, will re-emerge once the fireworks has finished and is more than happy to receive pats and hugs from kind strangers, Fr Koppman said.
"I just love it," Fr Koppman said of the fireworks. "I enjoy it. It brings back the happy childhood days and I get to share it with everyone."
It is illegal for anyone without an appropriate licence, and official authorisation, to buy, sell, use, store, transport or set-off fireworks in NSW.
Those who flout the law are subject to on-the-spot $1,000 fines, to the more heftier $27,500 fine and 12 months in prison.
The TCMF 2024 is on from January 19 to 28.
The opening concert in Toyota Park will start at 7pm, with former Golden Guitar winners such as Amber Lawrence, Andrew Swift, Lyn Bowtell, and busking champ Lane Pittman providing the country music entertainment.
