Uninspired by drone show, Laguna Beach to bring back fireworks next July 4

After receiving mixed reviews about its drone show this past Independence Day, Laguna Beach plans to return to a traditional fireworks display for its Fourth of July celebration.

The city debuted a drone show on a one-year trial basis this summer. A fleet of drones of approximately 300 in number took to the sky above Heisler Park, morphing through various Laguna Beach-themed and patriotic formations.

“There were some people who really liked it, thought it was cool we were doing something different,” Michael Litschi, the city’s director of transit and community services, said of the drone show. “We’re happy that the impacts on pets … and people with aversions to loud booms and explosions, that they were happy, but the drone show is not a fireworks show.

“It’s not the same thing. It never will be. It’s not omnidirectional, so you can’t see it the same from all sides, so folks who were in North Laguna, who were used to having a great view of the fireworks, are looking at kind of the back of the drone show. It’s more like a movie screen.”

Litschi said the city had heard from residents that they were able to see the drone show from as far as 3 miles away up in the hills.

Music meant to accompany the drone display could be accessed through the local radio station or streamed, although some found it difficult to tune in due to the internet buffering. In the event of another drone show, Litschi suggested that the city could look into having speakers in select areas.

Councilman George Weiss opened discussion among the panel by noting environmental impacts to the ocean, as well as air quality, with various fireworks displays in the area, including nearby Emerald Bay.

“I hate to say I want to go back to the firework show, but I feel that way,” Weiss said. “I feel it’s not about me, though. It’s about what the residents want.”

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Resident Greg Viviani was among those calling for the return of professionally run pyrotechnics, expressing a belief that “destructive tourism” in beachgoers leaving trash presents a larger issue.

“I hope we bring the professional fireworks back,” Viviani said. “The drone show — [I] didn’t like it. I live in south Laguna Beach, and we could barely see it off of our patio. I’ve been here 40 years, and every Fourth of July, I love watching the fireworks and enjoy it. I think it brings the community together.”

Another member of the public wrote in to say that they were “underwhelmed” after the initial moments of the show, adding, “It was … difficult to tell when the finale was since the drones mimicked a small firework display.”

The 300-drone, 15-minute show came at a cost of $75,000, and city officials said that additional drones would incur further expense. The cost of the fireworks would have been $42,000.

Regarding the possibility of an expanded drone show, Mayor Pro Tem Alex Rounaghi said, “We’re not Disneyland.”

“We need to focus on the basics of public safety, infrastructure, mitigating the impact of tourists, and so I agree with George in going back to the fireworks,” Rounaghi added. “If there’s ways that we can mitigate the environmental damage, I think we should look into it.

“I ultimately think that the way that we create cleaner ocean water is what we’re doing with the coastal treatment plant. That’s how we’re going to really clean up our ocean. This is one day a year, and it’s really such an important celebration of our country.”

Councilman Bob Whalen conceded that there were “people on both sides” of the issue, but he pondered what a collaboration with hotels might be able to bring about in terms of multiple drone shows in town.

“I do wonder about an alternative, where maybe, could we approach some of the hotels, like Montage, Surf and Sand, Pacific Edge, and maybe have multiple drone shows down the coast, where you have one south and one north,” Whalen said.

City staffers said hotels could be contacted regarding partnership opportunities.