One Oregon Town Is Replacing Fourth Of July Fireworks With Futuristic Tech

Independence Day celebrations hold a special place for most people who have grown up and spent most of their lives in the United States. The day — arguably the most important national holiday of the country — is synonymous with extravagant firework shows and pyrotechnic displays. For most Americans, watching a dazzling fireworks show with family comes with a lot of nostalgia and is deeply rooted in history and tradition. 

For those unaware, the use of fireworks to mark Independence Day celebrations has been part of American culture since 1777, when the city of Philadelphia decided to hold a fireworks display to mark the first year anniversary of the American declaration of Independence. Nearly 250 years on, most cities across the U.S. continue to hold on to this tradition. Without exception, 2025 will also witness cities across the U.S. use fireworks shows to mesmerize citizens and captivate visitors.

One small town on the nation's West Coast, however, is changing things. The town of Lincoln City, Oregon, has decided to forego tradition and embrace environmentalism and good sense. While the town still plans to go ahead with extravagant Independence Day celebrations this year, the annual fireworks show will be replaced by an equally dazzling but more eco-friendly drone show, the Statesman Journal reports. While purists may sneer at this decision, given the sheer amount of negative impact fireworks cause to human health and the environment, the switch from fireworks to drones is a noble one.

Besides entirely scrapping the fireworks show and replacing it with a drone performance, Lincoln City's city council has also made another landmark decision: It has prohibited the sale, possession, and use of fireworks anywhere within its limits. Those found violating this order may attract legal proceedings against them. The landmark move was taken after several residents and community members highlighted the environmental impact and public safety risks posed by them. 

The city council believes this move will help keep local, environmentally fragile attractions safe from adverse effects from the pollution and chemicals that would have been otherwise emitted by fireworks. The fireworks-free celebrations would also help older citizens and pets to enjoy the holiday without having to worry about loud noises or poor air quality. It is pertinent to note that Lincoln City has, in the past, widely used fireworks during Independence Day celebrations that were in compliance with relevant fireworks regulations. However, they still resulted in increased pollution levels that were harmful to local wildlife areas.

There is no denying that the change in tradition to replace fireworks with drones could be met with resistance from at least some residents, but the decision is rooted in logic and good sense. It remains to be seen if other cities and towns across the U.S. will follow suit and use Lincoln City as an example and start doing the same.

While they may not have gained mass popularity in the U.S. yet, drone shows are gradually giving traditional fireworks a run for their money. Lincoln City, in fact, is not the first town to switch to drone shows in place of fireworks for July 4th celebrations. Before it, Salt Lake City, Utah, and Boulder, Colorado, also famously made the switch. The 2023 Macy's 4th of July show also featured a drone show comprising 500 drones. The U.S. has been investing in drone performances as far back as 2018, with one of the most famous ones being held at Travis Air Force Base.

Outside of the U.S., drone shows have gained immense popularity in China, who's first drone performance was held in 2016, just a year after the first drone show in Amsterdam in 2015 The Weather Channel reported the nation recently broke a world record for the "largest aerial image formed by the most drones" in Chongqing, which featured an eye-popping 11,787 drones. That's massive compared to older shows that previously set a record using just 3281 drones in 2021.

According to CGTN, drone shows are quickly replacing traditional fireworks shows across China due to their inherent advantages. That's some progress given that China is the literal birthplace of fireworks. Given the pace at which drone shows are replacing fireworks shows across the globe, it will only be a matter of time before the smoke-emitting way of celebrations is obsolete.