Drone shows wil be big part of state’s 150 th aniversary

Drone shows wil be big part of state’s 150 th aniversary By Don Ireland By Don Ireland

It won’t be the lyrical “rockets’ red glare” lighting the skies around Colorado in 2026. Rather, dozens of patriotic-themed drone light shows – instead of fireworks –will be part of the many anniversary celebrations across the Centennial State.

Drones Drones

The America 250-Colorado 150 Commis- sion is taking the milestone celebrations to new heights with its “Stories in the Skies” series, featuring nearly 150 drone shows now through the end of December.

Some of the drone light shows were devel- oped through a partnership with the Commis- sion, the Colorado Tourism Office, and Visit Denver. The recent 40-night holiday drone light shows in downtown Denver during

The“Age of Drones” column is a 3-time Colorado Press Assn. “Better Newspaper Award” winner, 2022, 2023 & 2024

FAA- Certified Part 107 Drone Pilot

November and December were a preview of what’s yet to come. (The holiday drone show is also sched- uled to return for a third season in November 2026.)

Be prepared before the next power outage.

Another series of drone light shows, called “Stories in the Sky Statewide Series,” is sponsored by Chevron, Tallgrass and UCHealth. That series of shows, which began with a drone-light display during football game this past September, will be staged around the state from the Eastern Plains to the Western

“Each drone show will focus for two or three minutes on the history of the community in that area,” not- ed Judge Gary Jackson, a member of the state’s America 250-Colorado 150 Commission.

Lighted drones will take the form of the Denver Broncos’ mascot and other well-known Colorado symbols at shows around the state this year.

Photo courtesy of Tammy Broskey

In the near future, the commemora- follows:

and reused for numerous shows, unlike fireworks, which are a one-time use.

However, those who prefer traditional fireworks insist there’s nothing quite like the booming noise when they go off in the sky – although local dogs might not agree with their human counterparts.

• Jan. 22: The Ouray Ice Festival in Ouray.

• Jan 30: The Snowdown Light Parade in Durango.

Drone light shows have also become part of the - wood (Tennessee), Lake Compounce (Connecticut), Fun Spot America (Florida), and Disney Springs (Florida), as well as special events at Six Flags parks nationwide.

• Feb. 7: The Steamboat Winter Carni val in Steamboat Springs.

The 250-150 Commission is also of- fering to bring the drone light shows to communities willing to contribute a share minutes, including 10 minutes of America 250-Colorado 150 content, in addition to two minutes of regional content and two minutes for up to four sponsors.

(By the way, if you’ve never seen a drone light show – including those set to music – do a search on YouTube. There are plenty from around the world available to watch online, including some Guinness Record-setting drone light shows featur- ing 16,000 drones at a single event.)

The local communities must be will- ing to contribute between $10,000 and $18,000 for their local shows. The pricing includes full coordination of the show, FAA approvals required for an evening show, creative development, and the cost to execute the show, which includes hun- dreds of drones. Availability is on a first- come, first-served basis, pending approv- als from the Commission and its major sponsors. For information on sponsoring a drone show, contact Terry.Fabrizio@ state.co.us.

* * * A drone equipped with a thermal camera helped locate and rescue a 61-year-old man from LaGrange, Kentucky, a few days before Christmas. After taking his usual walk from home that day, the man became lost for nearly 29 hours in freezing conditions in the wooded, mountainous area near his home.

The Oldham County Search and Rescue team was called for assistance. They brought their thermal drone, which can detect heat signatures from people and warm-blooded animals. The S&R’s drone op- erator, Justin Hilliard, spotted the lost man curled in a fetal position, allowing ground crews to locate and rescue him. He was taken to a waiting ATV and transported to a hospital in good spirits.

* * * Over the past few years, drone light shows have been slowly replacing tradi- tional fireworks shows in communities across the nation. One primary reason fireworks can create fire hazards – espe- cially in areas prone to wildfires. Another reason is that drones can be recharged

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The patrol division of the Gilpin County Sheriff’s Office also has a drone equipped with a thermal lens, which has been used to locate lost hikers during the summer months. Let’s hope they don’t receive any calls about lost people in the nearby mountains during the current, sub-freezing nights.

Drone shows wil be big part of state’s 150 th aniversary

Patrick Henry Sweeney

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Drone shows wil be big part of state’s 150 th aniversary

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