No fireworks? No problem: Bay Area cities host Fourth of July drone shows

What’s that in the July night sky? It’s a bird … it’s a plane … no, it’s a drone.

Fireworks won’t be the only thing lighting up the Bay Area this Independence Day. Several cities and events are hosting their own Americana-themed drone shows — using hundreds of mini unmanned aircraft fitted with LED lights to create a variety of patterns, shapes and animations in the sky. It’s all part of an effort to reduce their carbon footprint and offer community-friendly — and safer — festivities.

In the South Bay, Sunnyvale will host its first city-run drone show on the Fourth of July, while San Pablo and Pinole will have theirs on the same day in the East Bay. The Alameda County Fair, currently running in Pleasanton until July 7, has featured drone shows alongside firework displays since 2022.

“The drone show is another way to bring residents together and celebrate Independence Day in a more environmentally friendly way,” said Sunnyvale Mayor Larry Klein.

For decades, firework displays have been an unquestionable part of the Fourth of July. But in the last decade, environmental activists have raised concerns about the impact of releasing thousands of explosives — often filled with toxins such as sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide — into the atmosphere.

A 2015 study published in the journal Atmospheric Environment, found that pollution increases on Independence Day. On average, Fourth of July fireworks introduce 42% more toxins into the air than on a normal day.

It doesn’t help that fireworks are also potential fire hazards in the hot summer months. Every July, the state’s Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reminds residents to exercise caution, as lighting fireworks in dry areas with high winds can quickly ignite fires. Fireworks cause an estimated 18,500 fires in the United States each year, according to the nation’s Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Such concerns have sparked online petitions and local pleas to replace firework shows with light-based alternatives.

Here’s where drone technology comes to the rescue. Controlled by a computer system that synchronizes their movements, the drones use battery-powered LED lights. When hundreds of them come together, they can create visual explosions of colors, reducing air and noise pollution, said Tyler Kubicz, a production manager at Sky Elements, a Texas-based drone show company.

Sky Elements will perform more than 35 public Fourth of July drone shows across the nation this year, with local ones taking place at the Alameda County Fair and in San Pablo.

For Sunnyvale, whose goal is to cut the city’s greenhouse gas emissions in half by the end of the decade, drone shows reinforce the city’s sustainability and environmental goals, Klein said. Pinole, which is also utilizing drones for the first time, is hoping to set a positive example for its residents by offering the eco-friendly show, according to city spokesperson Fiona Epps.

San Pablo will host the city’s second Fourth of July drone show at its local community center. The city used to have traditional fireworks, but cleaning up leftover debris became a hassle, according to Greg Dwyer, the city’s community service director. Residents and city staff appreciate how the drones produce less litter, he said.

Aside from the ecological benefits, Angel Moore, chief operating officer of the Alameda County Fair, said drones can depict a variety of unique patterns and animations. They are ideal for keeping fairgoers entertained, as shows run almost every night during the fair’s three-week period.

“As the shapes change from one image to the next, you hear the crowd’s ‘ohhs’ and ‘ahhs,'” Moore said. “People get really excited seeing the different images.”

While cities are promoting drone shows for their eco-friendliness, some prefer the quietness of drones over the loud booms from fireworks, especially for the sake of their furry friends.

Marjoleine de Waal Malefijt favors drone shows because they are less stressful for the animals she cares for. The Sunnyvale resident works at Animal Assisted Happiness, a Sunnyvale-based nonprofit providing services to youth with needs through barnyard animals. The farm is located in Baylands Park, the site of the drone show.

The farm animals — which include chickens, Guinea pigs, rabbits and alpacas — are usually calm, but could get easily startled by loud firework noises.

“We’re happy there are no fireworks,” she said. “We were incredibly worried that it would stress the animals out too much.”

Many animals can become frightened by the noise and commotion of fireworks, running away from otherwise familiar places and people. Some can even suffer fatal health effects from the stress, according to the Humane Society of the United States.

Despite the growing interest in drone shows, there are some iconic aspects of firework displays that machines can’t replicate, according to Matthew Gilfillan, show producer and creative producer for the Northern California region of Pyro Spectaculars by Souza. The fireworks company is one of the largest in the world and puts on yearly displays in local cities including San Francisco, Oakland, Redwood City and San Jose.

“There’s that bang factor fireworks have,” he said. “That visceral sense of concussion in your chest, the smell of smoke and oversaturated brightness of color in the sky. Drones don’t do that very well.”