With the 4th of July only days away, communities are gearing up for celebrations to honor our nation’s 243rd birthday.  Municipalities plan parades, block parties, fairs, and of course firework displays to close out the evening.  However, there are some areas that have had to forgo the crowd favorite fireworks out of environmental safety concerns.  July is the peak drought season for much of the country.  Dry spells mixed with scorching temperatures and winds can lead to devastating wildfires so fireworks have to be often canceled in areas prone to theses conditions.  So as not to let their citizens and tourists down, some communities are turning to firework alternatives to entertain once the sun sets, drones.

One such community is Carefree, AZ.  Carefree is a small town south of Scottsdale whose motto is “The Best Small Town in Arizona” with a population of around 4,000 residents.  Like most of Arizona, Carefree has a hot dry climate with temperatures that can be well into the 100s during the summer.  In order to show the area the best 4th of July celebrations possible the desert town is once again putting on a drone display extravaganza in collaboration with the Civana Hotel and Resort.

The drone show will be viewable to the public, but of course there will be perks if you are a guest of the hotel including all the activities provided by the hotel and an option to view the display from within the hotel’s VIP Pool Party Viewing area.  The town will also be featuring block party activities for families of all ages, live music, and food, all of which is open to the public.  While admission to the block party is free, guests are asked to make a donation to the local fire department.  Parking is $25 a vehicle and is limited, but Civana is also partnering up with LYFT to offer patrons a 10% saving for rides to and from events.  And pets are welcomed to attend all festivities as well with no worry of fireworks educing dog anxiety.

The drone show itself will be put on by a company called Firefly Drones.  It is the second time they will be working with the Civana Hotel.  Located in Detroit, MI, according to their website their goal is to “Provide an immersive experience that takes our client’s events and brands to new heights.  One of the only FAA licensed companies in the world, Firefly offers the latest technology operated by the most experienced pilots.”  On the July 6th celebrations to take place in Carefree, Firefly will be synchronizing more than 100 small drones with LED lights.  The drones will dance in the air, creating patterns and images in conjunction to themed music.  The show will run for about 20 minutes, which is a bit longer than a standard firework display.  One of the problems that face drones is the fact that to be small and light weight they have a limited battery supply.  Which is why Firefly always makes sure to have plenty of back up drones that can seamlessly enter the show if one drone begins to loose power.

Drone shows are becoming more and more popular.  They are being used to entertain at sporting events like the Olympics and Super Bowl, at music concerts, and now even at Disney parks.  For communities like Carefree drone shows are the perfect alternative to risky firework shows.  They are less expensive, safe, and just as mesmerizing!

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