Montgomery Township (Credit: Tony Di Domizio)
Fireworks cost $1,000 per minute for the township
Montgomery Township officials are exploring the addition of a drone light show to this year’s community event lineup, potentially pairing it with traditional fireworks as part of an expanded America 250 celebration.
Township Manager Carolyn McCreary told supervisors she recently met with staff to discuss planned events, including incorporating an America 250 theme into the event typically held on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend.
“I say typically — last year it was rained out. We moved it. We incorporated it into National Night Out with our fireworks,” McCreary said.
The township would rename the May event this year to reflect the modified theme. Other confirmed events include National Night Out in August and Autumn Fest in October, all of which she described as “tremendously successful for the township.”
Last year, officials were asked to consider a drone show as an alternative or addition to fireworks.
McCreary said the township identified three vendors — with a fourth reaching out recently — and obtained pricing. The initial concept would keep fireworks for the Memorial Day weekend event and feature a drone show during National Night Out.
However, staff learned that drone shows must begin in complete darkness, while National Night Out typically concludes at 9 p.m.
Because drone shows are relatively new and there are only a few regional operators, McCreary said pricing reflects that demand. Quotes received include:
Each show would run 10 to 12 minutes, accompanied by music, with short pauses as drones reposition.
“We’re going to continue to research this and see if we can get some videos to determine the quality of the shows before we commit to any one vendor,” McCreary said, noting that one vendor did not have video readily available. By contrast, the township’s fireworks vendor records its displays from behind the stage to showcase the show.
Supervisor Eric Pelletier asked how the cost compares to fireworks. McCreary said fireworks run about $1,000 per minute, with the township’s recent 18-minute shows totaling roughly $18,000. Chairwoman Tanya Bamford said she had initially thought the cost was closer to $25,000, possibly due to a previous event.
Pelletier noted that drone shows “don’t have the booms,” prompting Bamford to point out that the township has received requests for quieter alternatives.
“We’ve received a lot of requests for drone shows to be more sensitive to the people who have either PTSD or pets that are really spooked by the noise associated with a fireworks show,” she said, adding that the parks board supports pursuing a drone show as an alternative.
McCreary said that the township’s fireworks displays are more than just loud blasts.
“We don’t have the ones that just go up and boom. We have a lot of color,” she said, adding that attendees have told staff the 18-minute show is “better than Disney.”
Supervisors expressed support for continuing to explore the idea, including reviewing video comparisons to understand what various drone counts would look like in township parks. McCreary acknowledged uncertainty about scale and cost, noting that large-scale displays seen at major sporting events, like at Philadelphia Eagles events, are likely outside the township’s price range.
Before contacting sponsors or locking in vendors, McCreary said staff sought board consensus on the overall plan. Sponsorship will be key, McCreary noted.
"The sponsorship ship is going to be huge. We need to get some money to augment this," she said.
