MILWAUKEE — On July 3rd waves of drones will replace the longtime fireworks show at Milwaukee's lakefront.
Milwaukee County leaders announced the change Wednesday. The move to drones follows the cancellation of the 2024 show due to a lack of sponsorship.
Organizers say to expect three waves of drones lasting around 14 minutes each for a 45-minute show set to music. The show will be located at McKinley Beach and the surrounding area. Also different from past years, overnight parking and camping will not be permitted.
Nine-year-old Ezra Davis likes fireworks but said he is excited for the show.
"Because I want to see a big thing in the sky," Davis said. "It’s like an alien invasion."
This is not the first community to use drones. Last summer, New Berlin's Independence Day celebration featured 200 drones.
Dalia Delaney's birthday is July 3, so she likes a traditional show, but she and her family are open to something new.
"It sounds nice. I think we’ll come down this year," Delaney stated.
"Don’t turn it down. Try it one year. If you don’t like it, you could try something else next year," Delaney's husband Antwon Irby said.
In 2023, the lakefront fireworks alone cost about $350,000 according to the Milwaukee County Parks Department. The price tag did not include the other expenses such as staffing, cleanup and other logistics.
This year The Milwaukee Parks Foundation raised more than $200,000 for the July 3rd show. It covers everything from drones to event support and more. The drones and sound alone cost around $141,000.
The parks department said this is the first year it will cover the full cost of a major lakefront celebration without relying on extra public funds.
"I think that’s fine. It's entertainment. It’s modern," Milwaukee resident Paul Masterson told TMJ4. "I think it's an appropriate move because it’s entertainment without the cost or the explosions."
Milwaukee County's drone show is scheduled to start around 9:15 p.m. on July 3.
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