Around East County: Drone sky show coming July 4 to Brentwood

The Downtown Brentwood Coalition has organized the "Light Up the Night" show as part of the city's holiday celebrations.

To celebrate Brentwood’s 75th anniversary as a city, the Downtown Brentwood Coalition has organized “Light Up the Night,” a drone sky show, as part of the city’s upcoming July Fourth celebrations.

Alongside this, city staff have arranged other events, including the annual Fourth of July Parade, Carnique and a concert in the park. These festivities aim to create a cheerful and inclusive atmosphere for everyone to enjoy.

“We are delighted to host this incredible drone show by Sky Elements for our Fourth of July celebration,” said Amy Tilley, the Downtown Brentwood Coalition’s (DBC) executive director. “This show will provide a new and immersive experience to our community, and we encourage our local families to join the city-organized Fourth of July festivities downtown and stick around for ‘Light Up the Night.’ ”

The DBC came up with the idea of a drone show in 2022 after receiving feedback from residents that they usually leave the Brentwood area to celebrate the holiday because there is no official fireworks display in town.

“The nonprofit saw an opportunity to bring something extraordinary to the families that would allow them to celebrate locally,” Tilley said.

Like fireworks, the 12-minute animated drone show is expensive. The DBC began to ask local organizations to start raising money and was met with enthusiasm from local businesses and nonprofits. The organization partnered with the nonprofit Mothers of Brentwood to create a Community fundraising campaign for the event.

The show will feature 150 drones by Sky Elements and will show choreography in honor of Independence Day. The drones will be launched 400 feet into the air and will be seen from a variety of locations, with downtown being the prime viewing zone.

The traditional Fourth of July Parade will kick off with a children’s parade at 9:30 a.m. Right afterward, the main parade will start and follow a route that starts at the corner of First and Birch, turns right on Oak Street and finishes in front of the community center.

As mentioned above, the Brentwood Lions Club’s Carnique is making a comeback in the city. This event used to be a barbecue dinner and carnival that the Lions Club hosted for 35 years starting in the late 1950s. It also included dancing, music, swimming and a fireworks display. Permission has been given to reintroduce some aspects of the event, such as carnival games, food booths and a concert.

As part of the Lions’ tradition, the Liberty High School pool will be open during the event. However, space is limited, only U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets will be allowed, and the diving boards will be open for use. Food and other activities, including the Carnique, will be ongoing from 4 to 7 p.m.

To find out more about the event, visit bit.ly/3PwL78K or gofund.me/90ef0d16 online. Donations above $30 will receive a commemorative item.

Elsewhere: There are various July Fourth holiday events happening in other parts of East Contra Costa County. One of these is the city of Oakley’s Summer Fest happening downtown from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 1. This family-friendly event does not involve any fireworks. The festival will feature a 5K run, live music, local artisan makers, food vendors and a kids’ area in the afternoon.

Antioch’s July Fourth celebration will feature its annual parade and fireworks downtown. Activities will include food trucks, a kids zone and live music with former Santana lead singer Tony Lindsay and Michael Jackson tribute band Foreverland. The show starts at 4 p.m.

The city of Pittsburg will host fireworks July 4 at the Pittsburg Marina at 51 Marina Blvd., starting at 9 p.m. Lastly, Discovery Bay will host a family gathering and parade downtown starting at 9 a.m. July 4.

Roni Gehlke can be reached at oakleynow@comcast.net.