Indiana stores welcome ‘fireworks tourists’ from Illinois

HAMMOND, Ind. — Experts say Indiana’s more lenient fireworks regulations can mean a Fourth of July boon in business for Lake County, which borders Illinois.

Illinois is one of a handful of states that imposes strict restrictions on fireworks that can be purchased and set off.

But over the border, the Indiana Department of Homeland Security says 100 businesses are licensed to sell fireworks in northwest Indiana and they’re mostly concentrated near the border in Lake County.

The (Munster) Times reports that fireworks store owners in northwest Indiana say half to 80 percent of their business comes from Illinois.

Indiana University Northwest assistant economics professor Micah Pollak says the holiday means Illinois residents create “fireworks tourism” in northwest Indiana. And that’s not just for fireworks stores, but also restaurants and retail stores.