In a new twist to Eden Prairie’s Fourth of July Celebration, this year around 100 lighted drones arranged into familiar formations and synchronized to music will fill the sky above Round Lake Park.
The aerial drone show will actually be part of the City of Eden Prairie’s free, family-friendly activities taking place on July 3 – a prelude to the bigger celebration and traditional fireworks on July 4.
Over 5,000 people typically gather at Round Lake Park and the surrounding area on July 3 to enjoy Family Night during the two-day Fourth of July Celebration.
The celebration is months away, but the Eden Prairie City Council approved a $10,000 contract on Tuesday, March 12, with Michigan-based Starlight Aerial Productions to provide a 12- to 15-minute drone show.
The other big draw of the city’s celebration is the fireworks display on July 4. Also approved Tuesday was an agreement with RES Pyro to provide a 20- to 22-minute fireworks display at Round Lake Park on the evening of July 4 at a cost of $25,000.
City Parks Director Amy Markle said she and her staff, who do most of the planning and implementation of Independence Day activities, are looking forward to the addition of a lighted drone show.
“They’re visually very stunning,” she said. “In Minnesota, there haven’t been that many drone shows, live opportunities for people to see them. So, I’m excited about it. A big bonus is that it’s very sensory friendly, for people that don’t like the loud noise of fireworks, and pet-friendly.”
Drone shows have been around since about 2012. The heart of the technology is aerial drones with programmable LED lights and GPS capabilities so their movements can be controlled. Specialized software synchronizes the drones’ lights and movement to create formations – the shape and design of an American flag, for example.
The city in January requested drone-show proposals but Starlight “was the only company that was available and fit within our budget,” according to a staff memo. Starlight has a resume of professional shows ranging from weddings to high-profile NFL games, the memo said.
Comments
We offer several ways for our readers to provide feedback. Your comments are welcome on our social media posts (Facebook, X, Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn). We also encourage Letters to the Editor; submission guidelines can be found on our Contact Us page. If you believe this story has an error or you would like to get in touch with the author, please connect with us.