Celebrate Texas Independence Day With A Bang

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MCKINNEY (CBSDFW.COM) - This Texas Independence Day is the first time some have the opportunity to celebrate with a bang. Thanks to a change in state law, this year some counties are allowing sales of fireworks.

It's still pretty tricky because in McKinney and other cities, a local ordinance bans even possessing fireworks, but about 15 minutes east of there, one of the few fireworks stands is open for business.

Veal's Fireworks is usually only open around the Fourth of July and New Year's Eve, but when James Spohn and his family drove by the stand on FM-982 near Princeton, he couldn't resist.

"We're just kind of surprised that they're open for Texas Independence Day, so we thought we'd come out here and give it a shot," Spohn said.

Despite some concerns over fire hazards, county leaders decided to make this year a test run to see if they will continue to allow fireworks sales leading up to Texas Independence Day in the years ahead.

"Texas people love Texas, and it gives them an opportunity to celebrate the day," owner Brody Veal said.

Veal hopes fireworks can remind people of the importance of the holiday.

"I was surprised that a lot of people didn't even know what Texas Independence Day was. You could ask many people, they wouldn't be able to tell you what the day is, so when they come in here I explained it to them, and they said, oh yeah, I remember learning that a long time ago and just forgot about it," Veal said.

The hope is that the next generation may not be as likely to forget if they grow up honoring the day with a bang.

People can light fireworks in unincorporated parts of Collin County if you have permission of the property owner.

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