The Fourth of July drone show in La Jolla is expanding, in more ways than one.
The number of drones is more than doubling for the show’s third year, which organizers say will offer more imagery, improved clarity and wider visibility. And this time, music will be ing the images.
But with that, more donations are being sought to keep the show going into the future.
This year’s free show, featuring 500 drones (up from 200 last year), will begin at 9 p.m. Friday, July 4, from the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club at 2000 Spindrift Drive in La Jolla Shores. Main viewing will be from the south end of Kellogg Park and the surrounding park and beach areas near the La Jolla Shores Hotel, the Beach & Tennis Club and the La Jolla Cove area.
“Last year’s show was an incredible success, thanks to the generosity of our sponsors and community ers,” said Beach & Tennis Club President Bill Kellogg. “This year, we’re taking it to the next level by doubling the number of drones for an even more spectacular display. We hope to build on that same spirit of to keep this tradition alive and free for everyone to enjoy.”
With synchronized drones flying 350 feet above the shoreline, spectators can expect patriotic images such as an American flag and an eagle, La Jolla-themed images and more.
“We’re taking a fresh look at the images we produce,” Kellogg said. “Some will be the same, but we are talking about putting different images out there.”
As with the previous two years, the show is being executed by Drone Studios, which bought additional drones to create more imagery.
“The drones we are using are a new generation that can move a little faster, which will help us transition the various images we have up there,” Kellogg said. “Additionally, the clarity of the images is going to be improved. With 500 drones instead of 200, these images are going to be really clear.”
With that comes improved visibility, he added.
“This isn’t just a La Jolla Shores event,” Kellogg said. “You can see it from The Cove, businesses on Prospect Street … and Mount Soledad. It’s highly visible from the entire neighborhood.”
But for those who view the show from La Jolla Shores, specifically the area in front of the La Jolla Shores Hotel, there will be patriotic music to hear for the first time.
Kellogg said he is committed to making this year’s show happen “one way or another,” though donations are still needed to pay the expenses. The event will cost about $50,000, and only about half of that has been raised, he said.
“The community needs to step up,” Kellogg said. “Without that , the show won’t happen in the future.”
Those who want to make a tax-deductible donation for the show can do so at ljsteam.org or by sending a check to the LJ STEAM Foundation at 7742 Herschel Ave., Suite L, La Jolla, CA 92037. Donations must specify the Fourth of July Drone Show as the designated cause.
“We really want to keep a great tradition going,” Kellogg said. “I’ve received very positive on several fronts from past shows. There has been a lot of pushback on the community about fireworks and the noise they create and the impact on the environment, so people have appreciated that we have something now that is environmentally sensitive and still a great show. It has been a really positive thing that puts La Jolla on the forefront of that move away from fireworks.”
La Jolla’s public Fourth of July fireworks show — once a long-running tradition at The Cove — has not been held since 2017 for various reasons, including lack of funding, lack of a permit and the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, conventional fireworks are not allowed at Scripps Park — the site of past shows — due to the year-round closure of nearby Point La Jolla to keep people and sea lions apart. ♦
