Are Grand Finale Firework Cakes Really Worth the Price?

500g Finale Fireworks - Know the 5 Types Before You Buy!

Grand Finale - Our Favorite 432 Shot V-Shaped Zipper Cake

Stepping into a fireworks store or tent can be overwhelming, especially when it seems like products and packaging change every year. Here are 5 types of grand finale fireworks we'd like to introduce to you so you know how to achieve the result you're looking for and stay within your budget.

"THE SLEEPER" - Mixed amongst normal 500g cakes, these are affordable and often amazing grand finale fireworks. Some come right out of the gate with rapid-fire consecutive shots and others have a slow start with a built-in finale halfway through. Either way, you can get an amazing finale cake at a much lower price point if you know the kind of finale you want to see. Equally as important is working with a fireworks company or sales person that knows what their products ACTUALLY DO. Make sure you scan the QR code on the packaging because you can get a sneak peak of the firework before you buy it! Just remember, you can likely get a finale cake within your budget if you know what you’re looking for. Here are just a couple of our favorites in this category but keep in mind that there are LOTS more out there:

• Thunderguns (Fireworks Supermarket)

• Wind Up (Brothers)

• Art Attack (Brothers)

• Star Power (Fireworks Supermarket)

• Hot Stars (Fireworks Supermarket)

• Man Cave (Winda)

"THE KITCHEN SINK" - Sometimes these 500g grand finale cakes are “V” shaped like a fan and sometimes they’re not (you must read the packaging). But oftentimes they’re larger than your usual cube-shaped 500g cakes. These cakes have lots of effects and angles to give you a wide view and some big bursts. They may not be rapid-fire but the wide angle shots will give you some wow moments and usually you’ll get lots of color, crackle or sparkle. Here are just a couple of our favorites in this category:

• Action Packed (Sky Bacon)

• Backyard King (Sky Bacon)

• Combat Zone (Black Cat)

• Hail To the Chief (Miracle)

• Party Bus (Winda)

• Ticket To Ride (Winda)

"THE 1000-SHOT ZIPPER CAKE" - Ok so that shot count might be a bit of an exaggeration but many customers that walk into our firework stands who are looking for a grand finale cake immediately go to the biggest cake they can find. They assume that bigger will automatically mean AMAZING. Well, that kind of depends on what effect you’re going for. What people don’t always realize is 500g of powder is the MOST that can be legally packaged in a consumer firework. If you’re spreading those 500 grams amongst 145 shots, each of those shots has to be significantly smaller to meet powder restrictions. So of the 145 shots, it’s likely that 140 of them will be a rapid-fire colorful zipper shot with very little umph. And the last 5 shots might be great but you’ll only get to see them once. The other thing about these large zipper cakes is they’re often pretty pricey so if your budget allows for that and you like the effect they give, go for it! Otherwise, you might consider one of the other affordable options we mentioned. Here are just a few suggestions in this category:

• Border Patrol (Fireworks Supermarket)

• Chain Reaction (Fireworks Supermarket)

• Grand Finale (T-Sky)

• Maximum Velocity (Fireworks Supermarket)

• Party Meter (Fireworks Supermarket)

• Yankee Doodle Dynamite (Miracle)

"THE MULTI-CAKE FINALE" - These are quickly becoming one of our new grand finale favorites. You may have even seen them marketed as the 1000g or 1500g Finale (depends on how many cakes are included). Fireworks manufacturers have figured out the “workaround” with finale cakes. As we just mentioned, we can legally only sell 500g cakes. So what did the manufacturers do? They designed and timed an effect that gives an incredible display on a consumer level but requires 2-3 cakes to pull it off. Many times you’ll see these cakes assembled in a left, center, right configuration and the goal is to light them at the same time. The length of show and the width of the display can be pretty impressive…but so can the price tag. If your budget allows for it, you won’t be disappointed. Here are just a few recommendations in this category:

• 1000 Gram Finale (Sky Bacon)

• 1500 Gram Finale (Sky Bacon)

• Fancy Freedom (Winda)

• Let’s Party (Miracle)

• VIP (Winda)

"THE 2" OR 3" RACK" - We debated as to whether or not we should put these in a finale category but since they do have a place in a big show, we went with it. 2” or 3” Racks undoubtedly offer some of the highest, biggest and loudest booms in the 500g category. If you shoot a rack after a 200g cake, you’ll easily see why there’s such a price difference. While 2” or 3” Racks are impressive, they typically don’t provide a lot of different effects, they have a low shot count (usually 9 shots at the most), they typically shoot straight up, they are slower to fire and they come at a really steep price for the shot count. If your budget allows for a large zipper cake and rack, you’ll have a seriously impressive finale but it may take the two of them to get the combined effects that you’re going for. Here are just a few suggestions in this category:

• Monstrous Brocade Ring (Firehawk)

• Monstrous Palm (Firehawk)

• Mother of All Bombs (Winda)

• Whacky Tobacky (Brothers)

The great news is...there is a finale cake out there for almost every budget! We've put together some pretty amazing displays and finales using 200g cakes so there's another price point below the 500g to explore. Know your budget, know what you'd like to see in your finale and don't be afraid to ask questions. That's what we're here for!