Little town, big boom

Going north on Interstate 5 (I-5) the strip malls packed with brand-name outlet stores are the only barriers between pavement and trees. Past the outlets, clearly visible from the freeway, is the flickering-bright Tulalip Casino, located on the Tulalip Indian Reservation in Marysville, Wash., about 30 miles north of Seattle.

But the casino is not just a signal to turn off the freeway and head for the game tables -- beneath the waterfalls and ornate wooden carvings of the elaborate casino sign, "Boom City" is stenciled in green paint on a piece of whitewashed wood.

Below the lettering, an orange arrow vaguely resembling a missile points the way. The road that unfolds between the casino and the fireworks stands is thickly dotted with homemade signs proclaiming the name, number and slogan of the stand hammered into the ground with wooden stakes.

The sight of these signs resembles the campaign signs that crop up in the roadside near Election Day, and indeed fireworks vendors seem to be jockeying for the potential customer's favor.

"It can get competitive," said fireworks-seller Lisa Enick, "but can also be a lot of fun."

A recent UW graduate and Tulalip tribal member, Debbie Parker, has sold fireworks since she was 16. She stands behind an orange stand emblazoned with painted suns.

"I grew up doing this. I used the money I made to help pay my tuition," she said. Parker has a degree in sociology and American ethnic-studies and was able to get a job with the Tulalip Health and Safety Network.

"[My job] is to help the community grow in a healthy way," she said.

As she spoke, the unmistakable screeching of a rocket zooming into the sky shuddered the stand, followed by a sharp boom as the firework detonated. "It's a free show, and it's great," she said, hardly fazed.

Boom City has been booming for more than 30 years. What began as four stands has blossomed to about 194 stands. But beneath the literally smoke-charged atmosphere of the brightly painted stands is a friendly atmosphere that is cultivated by the Tulalip people.

Tribal members take pride in their business as well as keeping the sale of fireworks strictly between themselves. Permits to run fireworks stands at Boom City are granted without exception to tribal members only, helping to keep interloping vendors from taking away sales or changing what has become tradition.

Although Boom City may seem to be located in a remote spot, the makeshift "town" draws flocks of loyal customers each summer as Independence Day approaches.

"I know customers that came to my stand 15 years ago," said fireworks-seller Saul Morehead. He said many UW students from the area make yearly trips to Boom City in order to purchase fireworks that can't be found off the reservation.

In some ways, Boom City is much like the fireworks it sells. True to its name, the makeshift village explodes three weeks of the year, then dissolves into the background of the reservation in the aftermath of the celebrations. The colorful sign of the casino is the only reminder to drivers whizzing past on I-5 that there is something more than the strip malls in the area.