OCALA, FL (352today.com) – A new tradition is about to be born.
The inaugural Patriotic Skies: a Fourth of July Drone Experience, will provide Marion County residents with a moving and memorable way to spend Independence Day.
The county says the display will feature 300 drones outfitted with LED lights and forming patriotic images. The Ocala Symphony Orchestra will perform patriotic classics synchronized to the drone show.
The event begins at 5 p.m. and the drone display starting at 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 4, in Tuscawilla Park which is located at 800 NE Sanchez Ave.
|WATCH: Never seen a drone show? Here’s an example of what you can expect.
The aerial array is just one aspect of the holiday event. The Ocala/Marion County Visitors and Convention Bureau, City of Ocala and the Marion County Board of County Commissioners have organized a series of activities and family-friendly entertainment including food trucks, live performances, and a kids’ zone.
Local musicians, Noah Hunton and Chris McNeal will perform back-to-back beginning at 5:30 p.m.
The kids’ zone features a Eurosphere, mechanical alligator, bounce house, rock climbing wall and water misters to keep the little ones cool.
The event is FREE.
You’re encouraged to bring your own lawn chairs and picnic blankets. Coolers are permitted, but there will also be food trucks available for you to purchase food and drinks.
The City of Ocala says the event zone, marked in green in the map below, offers the best vantage point for viewing the show. But there are a number of other areas where you can still enjoy the show, but visibility may be slightly limited.
“For us as it relates to tourism, it’s an amazing opportunity because our shoulder season are those summer months, where in southwest Florida the summer is packed, and that’s what we’re trying to fill,” said Loretta Shaffer, Tourism Development Director for the Ocala/Marion County Visitors and Convention Bureau. “When we look at our STAR (Smith Travel Accommodations Report) data, which tells us how our motels and hotels are performing, we’re at 41 % occupancy.”
The initiative to bring an event like Patriotic Skies to Marion County is a way to create a tradition for people who live in the community.
“Typically, everything is traveling out of market, because people can go somewhere, a place they can go see fireworks and have that experience,” said Shaffer. “But we’re also creating opportunities which our community could use that economic impact. It’s a win-win. I’m super excited to partner with the City of Ocala. They’ve been an amazing partner to be able to work through this project on. It’s just dynamic.”
For more information about the event, parking and the complimentary shuttle to take you to and from your car, click here.