Tempe's much-anticipated July 4th drone show was set to light up the sky, but the drones remained grounded, disappointing attendees who had gathered at Diablo Stadium for the sold-out event; traditional fireworks filled the void, illuminating the night when technical difficulties with the equipment caused by overheating thwarted the drone performance, as detailed by FOX 10 Phoenix. "We were honored to host a sold out 4th of July celebration for our community," city officials apologized in a statement, acknowledging the contractor's issues and the resultant absence of the drone display they had promised.
Meanwhile, two other Arizona cities, Gilbert and Goodyear, participated in an ambitious attempt by Sky Elements, a Texas-based drone company, to set a Guinness World Record by putting on 26 drone shows in a single 24-hour stretch, according to an overview by AZFamily. While fireworks were still part of the festivities in Gilbert, Goodyear took a leap, replacing its traditional fireworks with drones, a decision that has been met with some public dissent yet marks a step toward what officials see as a safer, if not unanimously embraced, celebration approach.
In response to the shifts in tradition, Goodyear spokesperson Dawn Stipe told AZFamily, "We do want to keep it patriotic, we have symbols and imagery in there with the American flag and different American pastimes to keep it that patriotic feel and sense and hope people enjoy that transition." Despite the technological hiccup in Tempe, the innovative approach to celebrating the 4th of July with drone displays seems to be taking flight in Arizona, as more cities experiment with and embrace these aerial performances.
