GREECE, N.Y. — Those seeing firework tents popping up across Monroe County are not just seeing things.

“When I drove by, I was shocked," said Greece resident Joe Lavine. "I was really happy, so I had to stop and see what I could get my hands on in New York State, so I didn’t have to go to [Pennsylvania." 

Carla Sterina of Barely Legal Firework says that's been the typical response from customers since they set up shop in Monroe County four days ago, for the first time ever.

“That’s what brings the individual in here," Sterina said. "They’re like, what is in here, sparklers and snakes?”

Spoiler: There’s more than just those.

“Anything that’s in this tent, you’re allowed to have," Sterina said. "We have sparklers, we have fountains, anything that shoots 30 to 50 feet in the air, no higher.”

A happy surprise for customers like Lavine, not having to travel four hours to Pennsylvania to purchase their fireworks.

“I love blowing off fireworks, my nieces love when I get the fireworks and do it," Lavine said. "They love the colors of it, and it’s just a great time for us now that I can get all this stuff in Greece.”

While legal across the state since 2014, Monroe County legislators had continued a county-wide ban on sparklers and small fireworks until the end of last year, when the state said counties would have to pass legislation if they wanted to continue banning those products — and Monroe County didn’t.

“Keeping dollars here is big," Lavine said. "Locally, we need all the help that we can to our local town like this.”

And Sterina says, business has been great.

“I’m going through trucks," Sterina said. "People are finding out about us, word of mouth is very popular.”

Though she stresses they only carry what’s legal, even if just “barely.”

“You’re not allowed to have bottle rockets, roman candles, M80s, anything of that nature that shoots into the sky,” Sterina said. "Stay away from those."

However, what they do is have is just enough for Lavine.

“I love blowing up stuff when it comes to fireworks," Lavine said. "It gives me a great excitement, and makes me feel like a kid again.”

The laws are the same in neighboring Wayne, Ontario and Livingston Counties.