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Brooke Marquart prices items Thursday evening at Kovac’s Fireworks. Saturday was the first day of the fireworks season.

All indicators point to a booming fireworks sales season in the St. Joseph area with no concerns over the weak economy.

Several fireworks businesses around the city expressed high optimism for 2009’s Fourth of July-related sales, and said the tally may even exceed last year.

Prospects rank good for lofty sales at Kovac’s Fireworks, 7701 S.E. King Hill Road, said co-owner Becky Thomas.

“It has been a good year,” Ms. Thomas said on the season’s second day of sales. “My customers are coming in and it’s great.”

There are no signs that the economy will force fireworks lovers to cut back on the pastime, she said.

“That’s their big family gathering,” she said of Independence Day celebrations. “I anticipate they won’t change their spending habits.”

Some families have chosen to combine resources for larger displays, Ms. Thomas said. Firecracker snaps have become especially popular with adults and children, she added.

“We’ve got a lot of people who want the (multi-shot) 500 grams,” she said of another sought-after item.

Many new items are also attracting interest; Ms. Thomas said she’s been satisfied with the business’s quality and selection and how new fireworks have performed under tests. Two other Kovac’s Fireworks stores are located in central Missouri.

Elsewhere, customers continually streamed into Fireworks World, located north of St. Joseph at the junction of U.S. Highway 71 and Interstate 29 — through the midday hours Sunday for artillery shells and other loud favorites.

“We expect a good season,” said manager Michelle Kendall. “Sales are right on ... I think it’s going to be a good year. We’ve been busy the last two weeks.”

The economy could force some families to ditch their travel plans in favor of other entertainment, Ms. Kendall said.

“They’re going to stay home and spend money on the fireworks,” she said.

PJ’s Fireworks on Missouri Route K west of St. Joseph kicked off the sales season with a bang Saturday night, launching an aerial display for its customers.

“It looks promising,” said owner P.J. Kovac. “It looks like we may do better.”

First-day sales were 15 percent to 20 percent better than last year, Mr. Kovac said.

“People aren’t talking like they’re worried” about their purchases, he said. “It’s just one season a year they can get together” to ignite fireworks, he said.

In his 20 years of sales, Mr. Kovac said it’s difficult to tell whether the economy has ever had a real impact on fireworks spending habits.

What price increases have had to occur are actually not that noticeable, he said. Many items have stayed at 2008 levels.

“A lot of people come in with their children and buy novelties for them,” Mr. Kovac said. “There’s something for everyone.”

Firecracker snaps are also popular at the store, he said.

“They’re just flying out of here,” Mr. Kovac said.

The American Pyrotechnics Association expects fireworks sales to increase this year. In 2008, fireworks accounted for $940 million in revenue.

Ray Scherer can be reached at rscherer@npgco.com.