The old wooden stand at the corner of Columbia Pike and George Mason Drive has been selling fireworks every summer since 1982.
Rosa Clark, who grew up in nearby Falls Church, started working there when she was 8 — loading the shelves or helping mom run the register.
"It's been in my family all these years," she said.
Clark is now 35 and running the business for the first time this summer. Her brother ran it for years, and then her father took it over for a short period. Her husband, Steve, put in a few years behind the counter before the two married.
Eventually, Rosa's brother will take the reigns again and show the ropes to his children.
"It's a good thing to teach our kids — the value of hard work," Clark said. "It teaches them responsibility and the value of a dollar."
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Ask Clark about fireworks, and the static boxes and tubes come to life. She's not just animated when she describes each shower of light or flashy display; she adds sound effects so you can imagine the crackles and streamers.
"The showmanship we provide … We've seen all the fireworks, so we can give you a visual of what it looks like," she said. "We take pride in what we do and being able to explain the product."
A few years ago, Rosa and Steve moved to Coral Springs in southern Florida. But they haven't missed a summer selling fireworks in the Food Star parking lot in Arlington.
"It's great," Clark said. "I see some of the kids, they used to come here with their moms, we'd sell them snap pops."
She laughs.
"Now, they're men. They're teenagers — with hair."
Clark's stand is at Columbia Pike and George Mason. There's another stand further down the Pike, at Glebe Road. Where's your favorite fireworks stand? Tell us in the comments below.
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