July 4 in NYC: 'It Begins with a Spark' _ and a happy face with a wink

NEW YORK — What's new this Fourth of July?

A happy face with a wink exploding over New York City as part of Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks 2013 — the nation's biggest display.

That's one of the spectacles being prepared to light up the sky on Thursday. Forty thousand shells were being loaded onto four barges in the city's Staten Island borough on Saturday in preparation for the massive celebration.

The exact location is kept secret for security reasons.

The barges will sit on the Hudson River for the show to be seen by an estimated 3 million people watching live in New York and New Jersey, plus millions more on television. Grammy-award winning musician Usher has created the soundtrack.

Show co-designer Gary Souza said organizers have scoured the world to find and purchase the most original new fireworks — from China and Portugal to Spain and Malta.

The theme for this year's 25-minute show is "It Begins With A Spark."

The plans began a year ago in Rialto, Calif., where Souza is part of the current generation of a family that runs Pyro Spectaculars by Souza.

Sixty pyrotechnicians worked on Staten Island all weekend before the holiday to prepare the high-tech digital animation.

This year, two other novelties will be a jellyfish discovered in China that explodes with a whistling sound, and bursting butterflies.

From midtown Manhattan, the Empire State Building will play along, showing off its recently upgraded LED lighting along with the fireworks.

Andy Lewis has been volunteering for the fireworks for the past 26 years.

The first explosions are scheduled to go off at 9:25 p.m. on Thursday.

"It looks like pyrotechnical chaos at first, then it reins itself in," said Souza, looking at the neatly lined up mortar tubes.

And despite every possible precaution taken to ensure safety, "anything can happen," he said. "It's a dangerous business." Each year, he added, his mother has white-knuckled her way through the spectacle.

Safety is paramount, said executive producer Amy Kule.