Nestled in the San Bernardino Mountains approximately 100 miles east of Los Angeles, Big Bear Lake is a picturesque alpine city renowned for its year-round outdoor recreation, including skiing, hiking, and boating. Despite its modest permanent population of around 5,000 residents, the area attracts over 100,000 visitors on many weekends, particularly during peak seasons such as summer and winter holidays. This past weekend, Memorial Day marked the official start of Big Bear’s summer holiday season with a slew of special events such as the Maifest Spring Festival, a Memorial Day 5K, live music, car shows, and more.

Many of the events that center around tourism and economic development are organized by Visit Big Bear, the city’s official destination marketing organization. One particularly exciting event that Visit Big Bear had planned for Memorial Day weekend was a fireworks show set to take place on Sunday, May 25, 2025, to kick off the summer season. However, beyond promoting tourism, Visit Big Bear emphasizes responsible visitation and environmental stewardship. For this reason, event organizers had to cancel the fireworks show.

Big Bear Lake is a notably eco-conscious city with several community backed initiatives to protect the region’s natural habitats and the animals living within them. The San Bernardino Mountains, encompassing Big Bear Lake, host the largest wintering population of bald eagles in Southern California. This is just another reason why many people choose to visit Big Bear Lake, the opportunity to witness these majestic and patriotic creatures. In 2015, the nonprofit Friends of Big Bear Valley mounted a live stream camera to observe a mated pair of bald eagles named Jackie and Shadow, who have been nesting near the lake since 2013.

The hugely popular Jackie and Shadow livestream revealed that the pair recently hatched three eaglets. Fireworks can be very disruptive to wildlife, especially newly born animals. In order to protect the eaglets, the fireworks show was replaced by a silent drone show. The15-minute-long drone show was launched from Pine Knot Marina and was visible from the north and south shores of the lake, accompanied by patriotic music that could be responsibly heard through local radio stations KBHR 93.3 and 102.5 FM.

This was not the first time that Visit Big Bear had opted to switch from a planned fireworks show to a drone show in order to protect Jackie, Shadow, and their offspring. The organization first swapped fireworks for drones over the Memorial Day 2022 weekend. During this inaugural event, the following message was heard over radio stations: “Memorial Day signals the start of summer again and family gatherings. And, most importantly, it’s a moment to pause and reflect on those soldiers who laid down their lives defending all that we hold dear.”

The announcement continued, “Visit Big Bear and its members present, for the first time, a flying drone light show for Memorial Day. Tonight we remember and thank our soldiers who flew home as heroes with an angel by their side, and to honor their families who had to say goodbye.” The audio message concluded with a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by a patriotic drone show. The drones, illuminated in red, white, and blue, animated images of stars, a flag, a bear, and of course, an eagle flapping its wings.

With the success of the 2022 Memorial Day drone show, Visit Big Bear has continued to commit to transitioning from traditional firework displays to technically advanced, ecologically friendly drone shows. It is a sentiment that many communities worldwide share, as fireworks shows have been proven to negatively impact wildlife as well as pets and people sensitive to noise pollution. Additionally, fireworks pose risks of igniting wildfires and contaminating local ecosystems.

Big Bear Lake’s Memorial Day drone show exemplifies how modern technology can harmonize celebration with conservation. By replacing traditional fireworks with a silent, visually stunning drone display, the community not only protected its treasured bald eagle family but also reaffirmed its broader commitment to environmental stewardship. This thoughtful approach allowed residents and visitors alike to honor the true meaning of Memorial Day, reflecting on the sacrifices of service members, while embracing an innovative and responsible way to gather, remember, and celebrate.

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