Football in America has been played for more than 150 years. There are many traditions that come with the game, one of the most beloved being the professional football matches played on Thanksgiving Day, which date back to when the Detroit Lions decided to play a special Thanksgiving game in 1934. If you are from the Phillipsburg, NJ area, there is the annual Thanksgiving Rivalry Football game between Phillipsburg High School in NJ and Easton High School in PA.

It is one of the oldest-running high school rivalries in the country. NJ.com ranked it #2 out of 31 of the fiercest NJ high school rivalries, only missing out on the #1 spot because Easton is a PA school. But what has truly made the rivalry game special is the way it brings the community of Phillipsburg, proudly called P’burg or the Liners, together—not just on Thanksgiving Day, but the whole week leading up to the showdown held at Lafayette College’s Fisher Field. The high school hosts special events each day of the week before the game. These include high school representatives traveling to the local elementary and middle schools for pep rallies, a rivalry Powderpuff game, senior night, and a raucous pep rally on Wednesday morning. Then, Wednesday night, as what many call the highlight of the week, there is a Community Pep Rally hosted by the Phillipsburg School Administration.

For more than a decade now, the Community Pep Rally culminates with an awe-inspiring fireworks and pyrotechnics show put on by Celebration Fireworks based out of Slatington, PA. Founded in 2001 by John Kemps, Celebration Fireworks has always been a family-run business. In 2020, the company was purchased by Chris and Scott Hopkins and Jake Shuss. Fully aware of the future of aerial entertainment, Jake said he and his partners began incorporating drones into their arsenal of expertise around 2022. This expansion brought on Star Flight Drone Shows.

In August of 2022, when getting ready to plan the Community Pep Rally with Phillipsburg, the town excitedly welcomed the prospect of adding drones to the show. “Phillipsburg became the first official client to showcase our drones,” Jake said. The show started off with fireworks and pyrotechnics choreographed to rousing music that the town had come to expect. But when the drones lit up alongside the fireworks, the crowd was mesmerized. “It was incredible,” said Phillipsburg student Hayley, a sophomore at the time. “It’s the perfect way to get everyone hyped for the game the next day.”

For 2024, in response to the unprecedented dry weather and wildfires throughout the NJ, NY, and PA regions, the school and Celebration Fireworks had to come up with a new plan. Phillipsburg Superintendent Dr. Greg Troxell announced that this year’s Community Pep Rally would feature an extended drone show, minus the fireworks for safety concerns. “While we all hope for some rain relief soon, our priority is the safety of students and attendees,” said a school board member in the announcement. “We’re prepared to keep the pep rally as engaging as ever, regardless of any adjustments. We are all aware of the traditions surrounding Thanksgiving in P’Burg. I commend Dr. Troxell for being ahead of it.”

The extended Star Flight Drone show did not disappoint. First, the football team, cheerleaders, color guard, and marching band paraded from the high school several blocks down the street to Maloney Stadium in Phillipsburg. Next, short speeches from head coach Mr. Duffy and team captain Jett Genovese were delivered, followed by 100 drones lighting up the night sky. The drones formed animations that displayed images related to football, the town, school, and Thanksgiving, choreographed to songs like The Champion by Carrie Underwood and Ludacris. “This was an amazing night for everyone in the Phillipsburg community,” said Hayley, a senior now. “We missed the fireworks, but understand why it wouldn’t have been safe to have them. The drones were still so cool.”

Phillipsburg has been embracing these Thanksgiving traditions since 1905, long before the Detroit Lions held their annual Thanksgiving Day game. Jill, now in her 70s, reminisced about watching her son play in the rivalry game years ago. She said she was so excited to return to the community to watch the drone show. “Once a Liner,” Jill said, “always a Liner.” Over the years, the traditions have grown to include more activities and embrace modern technology like drones. What has remained the same, however, is the spirit of the rivalry and the way it unites the community.

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