Local vendors flee from the heavy winds as a storm hit Sunday night virtually bringing activity at the Paiute Plaza Desert Bling event to a stand-still. Photo courtesy of Cal Calcaterra.

By Mike Donahue

Moapa Valley Progress

An early summer thunderstorm with high winds forced the cancellation of Sunday’s Independence Day entertainment at the Moapa Paiute Travel Plaza on I-15, although the annual fireworks display went off as planned.

The Travel Plaza had scheduled entertainment Saturday and Sunday featuring the Alien Warrior Comic, Breakwater and the Blues Brothers Tribute of Ohio. But the fierce storm, which also caused flooding and damage 30 miles away in Las Vegas, rained out the show on Sunday evening.

Saturday’s entertainment and fireworks display, called “Desert Bling,” was attended by more than 1,000 people. The entertainment was conducted on a small stage set up in Veteran’s Park behind the Enterprise Store.

An even larger crowd was expected on Sunday night. But the violent weather kept the larger crowds away, a Paiute Travel Plaza spokesman said.

In addition to the band and tribute, provided by Heater Productions of Las Vegas, an entertainer juggled flaming firebrands, the perfect display for Independence Day. The fireworks show, put on by Protecnico of Pennsylvania, featured six 8-inch fireworks shells, as well as a number of 4-, 5- and 6-inch shells, according to Lou Parrello, the man responsible for the display.

Fortunately, the fireworks paraphernalia from which the show was launched Saturday was not hampered by the rain, and Parrello was able to launch Sunday’s display although it started earlier than scheduled.

A Travel Plaza spokesman estimated that at least a few thousand shoppers and revelers visited the store Saturday and during the day Sunday for two-for-one and three-for-one deals on fireworks.

“We’ve got a new supplier and we were able to give shoppers some excellent deals,” the spokesman said.

In addition to the in-store deals, the Plaza store also set up a case lot sales area for big buyers.

Herb K. Chan, vice president of United Pyrotechnics Inc., the Travel Plaza’s fireworks supplier, said the Moapa Paiute’s store is his company’s biggest retailer.

“We are very happy to be partners with the Moapa tribe,” Chan said.