TAHOE CITY, Calif. — Tahoe City is gearing up for its third annual Fourth Of July Drone Show. Here’s a look at what to expect and why they’re shifting away from conventional fireworks.
The still relatively new tradition in Tahoe is growing bigger every year.
“We really tried to take a drone show and then amplify it and add in a lot of other layers to make it really fun and exciting,” said Katie Biggers, executive director of the Tahoe City Downtown Association.
She says this year will be the largest they’ve held — a perfect grand finale to an action packed day of music and events on the lakeshore.
“We have five different DJs throughout the whole day leading up to the drone show. About nine o'clock, we kind of roll into this glow show which encompasses the lasers, the LED glow dancers, so they've got a lot of really cool aspects there,” said Biggers.
After the devastating 2021 Caldor Fire, Tahoe City made the switch from conventional fireworks to the cutting edge drone display we see today.
The move away from fireworks also keeps in line with Sierra Stewardship and Sustainability efforts.
“Keeping Tahoe Blue is a pretty big task. And so we looked at the toxic chemicals, the wildlife that we have around us, the noise pollution. There's just so many factors that aren't necessarily just fire risk and all of that,” said Biggers.
They’re partnering with Texas based operator Sky Elements to bring unique designs to life.
“They did the Grammys, they've done a bunch of other really big notable events. So we're really proud to be on their roster,” said Biggers.
The event is free of charge and starts around noon Thursday with the drone show kicking off after sunset, around 9:30 p.m. While there’s free parking in Tahoe City, event organizers encourage people to carpool to the eco-friendly celebration.
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