The little town of Bethlehem has always been known for the Living Nativity it puts on every December. For the past two years, however, on the Saturday before Independence Day, the community has come together to put on a fireworks show. Saturday, July 2 was no different, and, as 9:30 p.m. approached, the little town filled up with those wanting to watch the display.
The event has been dubbed “Thunder Over Bethlehem” by its creators; Olivia Herrell and Jason and Tammy Ragle. Toward the end of June in 2021, the Herrells purchased the nearly 11-acre triangle of land just past the Post Office, and, within a week, it was mowed for a perfect spot to set off fireworks.
Tammy and Olivia were talking about the cookouts they had planned for the 4th holiday at church the weekend after the Herrells had signed the deed. Olivia had fireworks but didn’t trust herself to set them off, so Tammy told her to bring them over and her husband Jason would set them off with theirs. It was then decided that he would set them off from a spot in the newly purchased field so those attending both cookouts would have a good view.
Jason would lay down a large rectangle of landscaping blocks that would act as the “launch pad”. Before starting to set off the fireworks, he and his nephew made sure to have a bucket of sand and a fire extinguisher ready, just in case. Both years, at least one firework has gone sideways and caught some of the field on fire but it was quickly taken care of with their being prepared.
“We jokingly called it Thunder Over Bethlehem last year,” Olivia recalled.
Then the name was mentioned in a Facebook post to the group Bethlehem KY Living, and it stuck: “We had people asking where they could park to watch, if they could add fireworks to the stock…it was crazy!”
But it was a crazy that Olivia and the Ragles enjoyed so much that they decided to do it again.
“Last year the community joined together and started making it a community event and we were happy to oblige,” said Tammy Ragle. “Bethlehem has always been known for the Nativity and my hope is that we can continue this every year as well and also be known for our great community fireworks show in honor of our great nation.”
Each year, her family schedules a day to go shopping for fireworks sometime in June.
“We had a budget we went in with, but, well…the boys blew it,” she laughed.
Olivia also contributed fireworks this year. Various other people chipped in, and she went to buy them.
“They may not be the most awesome fireworks like those you can get from other states,” said Herrell. “But I like going to the tent set up in the La Grange Kroger parking lot. It is run by Life Church’s youth group, and all proceeds go back to their youth program. I like supporting that.”
Overall, the show lasted almost an hour. Neighbors on both sides of the highway cheered for the bright colors and fun displays.
“I thought it was absolutely terrific,” said Betsy Sewell, who had come to the Herrells’ to see the show. “The fireworks were beautiful. It is such a great way for the community to come together. It was very patriotic and wonderful to spend time with friends and neighbors.”
The Ragles and Olivia plan to continue this new tradition in the future. There is a plan in the works to open a bank account at Limestone Bank that would allow anyone to donate to the fireworks fund throughout the year. The Ragles and Olivia will split any donations received when they go fireworks shopping.
