MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Thousands of people gathered on Milwaukee’s lakefront to experience the highly anticipated Independence Day celebration.
This year there’s was a twist, instead of fireworks lighting up the lakefront, hundreds of drones filled the sky.
“I’m excited to see something new,” said Ashley Hess, who watched from McKinley Beach. “I’ve never seen a drone show and it’s nice to have something on the third again.”
McKinely Beach was packed with people, all with their eyes to the sky witnessing Milwaukee County’s first ever lakefront drone show.
Nearly 900 drones took to the sky for an unforgettable show that featured images of some of Milwaukee’s most iconic landmarks and teams, including the Milwaukee Skyline, Hoan Bridge and Mitchell Park Domes. The around 45-minute show also embodied patriotic themes as music played.
The question on everyone’s minds was how the drones would compare to the typical firework show.
“I want to see how everyone likes the drones,” said Antonio Smith. “The switch from fireworks to drones, that’s going to be interesting to see how everybody likes it.”
CBS 58 News spoke with multiple people after the show and they said they enjoyed the display, but many missed the bang of the fireworks. However majority say they will be back next year.
County officials confirmed moving forward they expect the drone show to replace fireworks as the standard, citing cost, environmental, and safety benefits. Presenting sponsor Michael Hupy also announced he has already signed on to fund next year’s drone show.