Colorado 150 Celebration Drone Shows – Don’t Miss One!
Drones shows fill the night sky throughout Colorado with Stories in the Sky
By Kimberly Nicoletti
To help celebrate Colorado’s 150th anniversary, drone shows will illuminate night skies with up to 65 shows throughout various towns spanning the Eastern plains to the Western Slope, illustrating the state’s history.
The preview took place last September at a University of Colorado football game and then lit the sky above Auraria Campus’ Tivoli Quad, with Denver’s colorful and musical Christmas tree in the foreground, for 40 nights during the holidays.
The mesmerizing shows keep viewers in suspense for a few seconds, as drones fly into formation. Suddenly, quiet murmurs from the crowd explode into “Wows” as the drones reveal their colorful scenes, beginning with dinosaurs and moving on to such illustrations as a bear, skier, train, snowcapped mountains, Colorado’s 150th logo and much more. While the core of the show remains the same at each destination, each town will feature its own animation. For example, Ouray, where the drones debuted this year, highlighted a mining scene.
Produced by Colorado-based Brightflight Drone Shows, 500 synchronized drones, complete with cameras, sensors and software, generate the large sky art. After Brightflight personnel draw scenes and digitally transfer them into 3D animations, the drones follow their programmed path, flying no faster than 15 mph before pausing and always remaining at least 10 feet apart. Yet, somehow, the colorful scene manifests quickly.
Fireworks have traditionally celebrated our nation’s independence and milestones, but drones carry a lower environmental footprint. They avoid loud booms that scare pets and wildlife, including birds, and don’t drop heavy metals, particular matter and toxic gases that fireworks release into the air, land and water. The reusable drones can be powered by renewable energy sources like solar or wind.
“These shows create opportunities for residents and visitors to attend shared celebrations and place some of Colorado’s best events on statewide and national calendars … amplifying visibility and encouraging participation. Overall, the drone shows unite communities, inspire pride in Colorado with a family-friendly, unforgettable experience that is accessible to millions,” said Timothy Wolfe, 250-150 Commission co-chair and director of the Colorado Tourism Office.
So don’t miss the sophisticated choreography, which results in charming, awe-inspiring shows that connect communities through spectacular illumination.
We had a chance to see them at the Steamboat Springs, Steamboat Winter Carnival and it was spectacular! Here are dates for you to make plans to see them yourself:
SCHEDULE
May 16: Lamar, at Lamar Days
May 29 or May 30: Denver, at the Outside Festival
June 6, Vail, at Go Pro Mountain Games
June 13, Limon, at Limon Heritage Day
June 14: Aurora, at Global Fest
June 20: Glenwood Springs, at Strawberry Days
June 24: Fort Collins, at Lagoon Concert Series
June 25: Greeley, at Greeley Stampede
June 26: Trinidad, at Santa Fe Trail Days
July 2: Breckenridge, at Independence Day Celebrations
July 10: Gunnison, at Cattlemen’s Days
July 11: Fort Morgan, at Bobstock Music Festival
July 16: Colorado Springs, at Pike Peak or Bust Rodeo
July 18: Winter Park, at Winter Park Jazz Festival
July 24: Littleton, at Illuminate Littleton
July 30: Burlington, at Kit Carson County Fair
July 31: Sterling, at Logan County Fair & Rodeo
Aug. 1: Denver, at Colorado Day Rockies Game
Aug. 3: Loveland, at Larimer County Fair
Aug. 7: Cortez, at Balloon Rally
Aug. 8: Craig, at Moffat County Fair
Aug. 15: Centennial, at Centennial Under the Stars
Aug. 21: Palisade, at Palisade Peach Festival
Aug. 22: Highlands Ranch, at Summer Sunset Concert Series
Sept. 3 and 9: Pueblo, at Colorado State Fair
Sept. 4: Telluride, at Telluride Film Festival
Sept. 4: Beaver Creek, at Oktoberfest
Sept. 5: Alamosa, at Early Iron Festival
Sept. 6: Denver, at Dragon Boat Festival
Sept. 26: La Junta, at Tarantula Fest
Oct. 24: Longmont, at Feria del Tamal
Dec. 11: Aspen, at Wintersköl
Nov. 22 through Dec. 31: Denver, at holiday festivities
More info: https://www.historycolorado.org/colorado-150/initiative-stories-in-the-sky
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