Nothing says the Fourth of July like barbecues, pool parties and… drones? With each passing Independence Day, drone shows are becoming the finale of choice for more celebrations, who are swapping out fireworks for the eco-conscious aerial displays. (The photo at the top of this story is from “Fireworks Could Never,” a Heads in the Sky Drones show in support of Altadena Girls, which was staged on July 1.)
This year, for the first time, Pasadena, Burbank and Pacific Palisades are all opting for more fire-safe and environmentally friendly drone shows. The switch makes sense, especially given the wildfires that besieged the city just six months ago and L.A.’s continuing fire risk. Pasadena and especially the Palisades were directly in the fires’ path, so not taking unnecessary risks with pyrotechnics seems like a good call. Not to mention that fireworks, spectacular as they may be, do emit contaminants and contribute to air pollution. (Plus drone shows are infinitely more dog-friendly, and seeing words spelled out in the night sky is pretty fun.)
In Pasadena, the long-running AmericaFest at Rose Bowl Stadium has been dormant for a couple of years now due to budget reasons. For the past two Fourths, the red, white and blue extravaganza was replaced with a hometown-rivalry soccer match—L.A. Galaxy versus LAFC—which still ended with a fireworks finale shot off from the adjacent Brookside Golf Course. This year, though, culinary fest FoodieLand will take over the Rose Bowl all three days of the long weekend, and on July 4, the night will end with an Independence Day drone show.
In an act of resilience, the coastal community of Pacific Palisades is still coming together for its 78th annual Independence Day celebration. The festivities will look a bit different this year—the Palisades Will Rogers 5K Run and Kids Fun-Run will still take place in the morning but will move to Venice, and in the evening, the athletic field at Paul Revere Charter Middle School will fill up with music, entertainment, kids’ activities and food trucks before a drone show by Pyro Spectaculars lights up the sky. But it’s important to note that this year’s event is only open to Palisades residents and their friends and family.
Over in the Valley, Burbank usually shoots off fireworks from the Starlight Bowl, an intimate amphitheater in the mountains. But while it wasn’t directly impacted by the wildfires, the venue suffered severe windstorm damage in January and is closed for the season. In its place, McCambridge Park down the hill (usually a prime fireworks-viewing spot) is now hosting Starlight on Tour, featuring performances by the Ultimate Rock Band and Bruno & the Hooligans—yes, that’s a Bruno Mars cover band—and a drone light show at 9pm, which will launch from the Starlight Bowl’s parking lot and be visible from various parts of the city (including, we’ll bet, the patio of hilltop restaurant Castaway).
For three years, Downtown has been leading the way with drone shows, and this summer, Gloria Molina Grand Park’s massive block party—the largest free Fourth of July celebration on the West Coast—was again planning on capping off an evening of live music, food trucks and Ferris wheel rides with a drone show over the Music Center. However, due to safety concerns, the celebration has been postponed till later in the summer. “The safety of our guests, artists, staff and volunteers will always be our number one priority,” said Gloria Molina Grand Park Director Robert Gonzalez, promising that the rescheduled event will “help renew the spirit and reinforce the resilience of Los Angeles.” And in light of the recent ICE raids, some celebrations in majority-Latino neighborhoods have been canceled altogether, again out of concern for the community’s safety.
If it’s not the Fourth without fireworks to you though, there are still a lot of fireworks shows taking place, from pyro over the water in Marina del Rey and Long Beach (by nature less of a fire risk) to the Hollywood Bowl and Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Theme parks are getting in on the action too—you can see displays at Universal Studios Hollywood, Disneyland and Six Flags Magic Mountain.
However you choose to celebrate, have fun and stay safe this Fourth of July.