Lakewood, Boulder & Castle Rock go with drone shows instead of fireworks for Fourth of July this year
Drone shows aren't the new norm on the 4th of July for communities across the Denver metro area, but several municipalities are going with them instead of fireworks this year. Lakewood, Boulder and Castle Rock will all have drone light shows next Tuesday night to celebrate America's independence.
Lakewood's will be at Belmar Downtown Lakewood, Boulder's will be at Folsom Field and Castle Rock's shows will be in two different locations -- at Philip S. Miller Park and Santa Fe Quarry Butte.
Drone shows don't present the fire danger that large fireworks do, and with the extremely dry conditions that Colorado has seen in recent years some have wondered if every community will just always move to drone shows instead of fireworks to be safer. So far that hasn't been the case.
At least one of three three communities that opted for drone light shows acknowledged the safety aspect of their decision. In a post on the town website, Castle Rock administrators wrote: "We know that many look forward to celebrating with fireworks; however, the fallout from a typical July 4 fireworks show poses a significant wildfire risk. The dry summers we've experienced the past several years have created a high risk of wildfire and resulted in show cancellations."
Another Douglas County town, Parker, had a drone show in 2022 for July Fourth but they've moved back to fireworks in 2023. They say their residents were clamoring for the traditional explosions in the sky this time around. In a post on the town's website they featured the following Q&A:
Why is Parker not hosting a drone show this year?
The Town surveyed our community last year and found that a majority of respondents stated they would prefer to see fireworks on Independence Day rather than a drone light show.
Parker officials say they will have a drone light show for their Parker Fall Fest in September.
Click here to see a full list of fireworks displays across the Denver metro area.