Drone shows will light up Wichita sky at Exploration Place during Riverfest
Called “the fireworks of the future,” a visual show created by a swarm of 200 illuminated, computer-controlled drones will light up the Wichita sky on the opening weekend nights of Riverfest: Saturday and Sunday, June 4 and 5.
The scenes created in Wichita’s first-ever drone light shows will reach 400 feet tall, well above the city’s tallest building, the 325-foot-tall Epic Center, and are expected to be visible up to 5 miles away from Exploration Place, which is producing the event.
In a drone light show, a fleet of illuminated drones is given flight commands that result in aerial graphic designs or scenes. Almost any image can be created with their formations through computer programming.
The science center, on the banks of the Arkansas River, is selling tickets for the shows’ best seats since it will have a sound system on its campus for spectators to hear the music synchronized to the drones’ movements.
A $60 carload ticket allows parking for one vehicle and admission of up to nine guests. Individual walk-in tickets with no parking are $15. Discounts are available for Exploration Place members. Gates will open at 6 p.m. for ticket holders who can take in a sort of pre-show outdoor festival with live music, games, exhibits, demos, food trucks and more before the 10 p.m. light show.
Following the drone show, there will be a special lighting of the fire pots surrounding the Keeper of the Plains, which is near Exploration Place. The Ring of Fire, as it’s known, is lit nightly for 15 minutes around 9 p.m. during the spring and summer, so the drone show finale will be a second lighting, according to Adam Smith, Exploration Place’s president.
By Wednesday of this week, the Saturday show was nearly sold out, and about half of the tickets for Sunday’s show remained, said Laura Roddy, Exploration Place’s chief advancement officer.
Being able to host the city’s first drone light shows fits in well with the Exploration Place mission of inspiring “a deeper interest in science and technology through creative and fun experiences for all,” said Smith, who had been toying with the idea of bringing such a show for a while.
“Drone technology is changing the world and it’s going to change the world even more. This will help raise people’s awareness of the capability of drones,” Smith said.
Smith had mentioned the possibility of hosting such a show in a previous meeting with Wichita Festivals. Wichita Festivals staff suggested scheduling the event this year in conjunction with the milestone 50th Wichita River Festival.
“Some people may be familiar with drone light shows because they’ve been at the Super Bowl and Olympics and other high-end events,” Smith said.
The Wichita shows, being coordinated by the Detroit-based Firefly Drone Shows, will reflect local and state themes, including the popular Wichita flag.
Smith, who said he’s been avoiding divulging what other scenes will be in the June 4 and 5 shows, did drop two hints: “We are the Air Capital of the World … and we’re in Kansas, the sunflower state.”
Drone Light Show
When: 6-10:30 p.m. Saturday, June 4, and Sunday, June 5. Gates open at 6 p.m. for live music, games, demos, food trucks and other activities before the 10 p.m. drone light show.
Where: Exploration Place, 300 N. McLean. The shows are expected to be visible up to 5 miles away, but only spectators on the Exploration Place campus will hear the synchronized music because of a special sound system.
Admission: $60 carload ticket for parking for one vehicle and up to nine guests; $15 individual walk-in ticket with no parking. Discounts for Exploration Place members. Limited tickets remain.
More info: ictdroneshow.com
This story was originally published May 27, 2022 at 4:02 AM.