This happened back in June but it’s still pretty cool to read about. The rockets that these guys build are pretty scary. If one of those blew up near anyone there would be parts all over the place, and not just rocket parts!
I finally had the chance to witness the famous Rocket Festival, a (non-Buddhist) tradition observed only in parts of Roi-et and Yasothon provinces to ask ‘the Gods’ for rain at the start of the rainy season. The exact date and organizing villages change every year, but it is usually held on a weekend in the middle or at the end of June. Participants from around 5 or 6 villages will come together and fire their self-made rockets into the sky. This year my girlfriend’s home village was organizing the event.