Photo Gallery: Dec. 31 Lions fireworks in Hood River

Hood River Eyeopener Lions put on a 20-minute spectacular on a dry, 50-degree evening. 

Orange bursts are seen from the packs of pyro tubes set up starting at 8 a.m. Thursday by the Lions Pyro Crew. Come 7:58 p.m. the display opened open like an expectant champagne cork pop, and it felt like doors and windows opened to fill the sky with celebration sounds, the Lions’ blowing upwards a show similar to the July 4 exhibit they had to postpone.

But the rollicking rockets had their own personality — a year-end “throw-2020-to-the ether” feel (a few red blossoms that looked eerily like coronavirus), flowing jaggedly into something like a rock-and-roll jam: Golden sparkling lead guitar riffs, big blue puffs like well-timed bass lines, mingled with drum-solo neon-green shots, and as the party counted down its last minutes, the whole band pulled together into a shouting, careening finale, hot shimmering streamers and fiery champagne geysers shooting right and left, all of it leaving the people on the banks of the Hood River whooping, clapping, and yelling thanks.