Sunday, November 12 is the third day of Diwali, the five-day Festival of Lights celebrated by millions of Hindus, Sikhs and Jains across the world, including a large number of Alpharetta residents. The festival generally symbolizes the victory of light over darkness, and a common part of the celebration on the third day is fireworks.
As a reminder, the use of consumer fireworks is permitted under Georgia Law beginning at 10:00 AM and ending at 11:59 PM on any day unless such use violates the local jurisdiction’s general noise ordinance. That law further stipulates that such ordinance must be a general noise ordinance that does not apply solely to fireworks and must have been adopted on or after July 01, 2018. The City of Alpharetta’s ordinance does not meet these requirements.
For those who plan to make fireworks part of their Diwali celebration, please be respectful and courteous to your neighbors who may not enjoy fireworks, may suffer from PTSD, or may have pets that are frightened by them. Also, remember that not everyone has the next day off from work and may be trying to sleep. If you plan to use fireworks, we encourage you to talk with your neighbors ahead of time and try to accommodate their needs.
If you are someone who does not like fireworks, please remember that Georgia law does allow those over age 18 to use them within the hours noted above. If a neighbor who plans to use fireworks comes to talk with you ahead of time, please be respectful of their rights under the law and keep in mind that they are talking with you out of courtesy.