For many people, memories of family customs hold strong for the Fourth of July.

Summer revelers may have to pay more bucks for their bang this year.

Some area fireworks vendors and companies say they’re paying more for fireworks from China and those costs will likely be passed along to consumers.

“Industrywide it’s going to be higher prices,” said Eric Garrett, of Uncle Sam’s Fireworks & Innovations of Eudora. “It could be as much as 30 to 40 percent for the consumer.”

An explosion in the Chinese port of Sanshui in February destroyed 20 warehouses of Roman candles, mortars and firecrackers, tightening the supply and helping to drive up costs for both consumer fireworks and those used in fireworks displays.

Gary Saathoff, of Lawrence Jaycees, which organizes Lawrence’s fireworks display, said the shortage has not affected plans for the annual show here and the organization is planning its $14,000 fireworks display at Sesquicentennial Park will go off as normal.

But several vendors describe a different picture.

Garrett, who has taken several trips to China in the last year for his company, which has its own line of fireworks, said inflation in China and other factors have pinched supply and driven up costs.

John Hutton, of Velocity Fireworks, which has a stand on U.S. Highway 59 south of Kansas Highway 10, said he predicts consumers would pay between 10 percent and 15 percent more for some fireworks this summer, with some items costing 30 percent more than last year. He said he avoided some more expensive products by ordering cheaper items that are similar.

Steve Trieb, of Big T Fireworks, at 31st and Louisiana streets, said prices would vary.

“There will be eight different stands up in a row, and depending on who’s running them and their price markup you’ll see a 15 to 30 percent price variance from stand to stand,” he said.

But vendors don’t expect a dim fireworks season.

Increasing gas prices have many people staying close to home this year, which likely means they’ll be buying their fireworks locally, vendors said.

And some say consumers are willing to pay the increased cost for the purchase they make only once a year.

Vendors anticipate higher sales because the Fourth of July is on a Friday this year.

“I’m anticipating it’s going to be just as good if not better,” Hutton said.