COMMERCE CITY, Colo. -- Excitement is building for what Commerce City officials say is Colorado's biggest fireworks display.

The Colorado Rapids-Commerce City fireworks show begins at 10 p.m. Friday, following the Rapids game at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.

The show will feature 1,500 shells, ranging in size from 3 inches to 10 inches.

"Each one has its own lift pack on it," said Tony Jaramillo, Commerce City's Parks Development Supervisor and licensed pyro-technician.

Jaramillo has been in charge of this display for several years.

"My adrenaline rush began three or four days ago," Jaramillo said. "As it comes down to show time, my heart starts pounding."

Jaramillo wants everything to be perfect. So do the tens of thousands of fireworks fans which will flood the area around Dick's Sporting Goods Park Friday night to watch the display.

"Commerce City always has the best fireworks display," said Melissa Fritch. "Always."

Fritch was at Pioneer Park watching her children dart through the water feature. The children said they too were looking forward to the display.

"We're excited," one of them said, while jumping up and down.

"My dad's going to take me to the park, I'm going to see them," said another.

People of all ages will watch the shells climb into the sky while being electronically choreographed to music. Firing crews will have an old manually operated ignition board on stand by.

"If we see some back sky, which we as pyro-technicians don't like to see, we will start throwing in some of these fillers (with the manual board) to fill the sky a little bit and liven up the crowd."

Jaramillo demonstrated how it works, counting down, "three, two, one," as Mayor Paul Natale activated the circuit, launching six small shells 1,000 feet into the sky.

While the small shells sounded quite loud, it's the big 10 inch shells, weighing 25 pounds each, that make Commerce City's display special.

"When they leave that tube," Jaramillo said, "You feel it. You know it."

The longtime pyro-technician told 7NEWS that sometimes the big shells end up being duds.

"That's why no one can sit in the fall zone," he said. And why firing crews operate in a bunker lined with Plexiglas and steel.

"The Rapids have been doing a fireworks show for 13 years," said the team's media relations director, Jason Gilham. "People have become accustomed to it."

"And let's not forget why we do it," Mayor Natale said. "It's all about our freedom and it's all about being here."