My alma mater was celebrating it's 25th anniversary with an open air festival including fireworks. Of course you were supposed to stay a sensible distance from the fireworks. I also love fireworks and climbed to the third floor balcony of the Liberal Arts Building, about 100 feet from where the fireworks would explode. The waves of explosions were unbelievable and they do rattle your insides and the noise is wild. I figure it's the closest I'll ever be to warfare, and that's fine with me.
What can I say, I was a 35 year old kid.