Long Island’s popular Memorial Day air show is going futuristic this year, trading its iconic fighter jet performance for a patriotic light show featuring 1,000 drones over the Atlantic Ocean.
The show’s first-ever drone performance, scheduled for 20 minutes on May 24 at 9 p.m., bumps the traditional air show to the Fourth of July weekend — July 5 and 6 — as part of the state’s broader celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The flying robots will be sent soaring up to 400 feet in the air, synchronized to patriotic music, and form 3D-moving images across the nighttime sky depicting various symbols such as bald eagles, Uncle Sam’s hat, and, of course, the American flag.
“These events on Long Island are an exciting part of what is happening across New York State as we share the compelling stories of the people who shaped the American Revolution with our Revisit the Revolution initiative,” New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Acting Commissioner Kathy Moser said.
The drone show, organized by Gov. Kathy Hochul, the New York State Legislature and the NYS 250th Commemoration Commission, is being designed by Grizzly Entertainment — the same company behind Nassau County’s 9/11 drone show tribute in Bethpage last year.
The Navy Blue Angels will soar through the skies a month later, on July 5 and 6, as part of the celebration of America’s 250th birthday.
This year, the Blue Angels will also be joined by the Canadian Snowbirds, the US Army Golden Knights, and the Navy’s F-35C Lightning II Demo Team, and others, while a fireworks show is also set for July 4 at 9:30 p.m.
Memorial Day weekend at Jones Beach won’t just be about the drones.
Visitors can also catch Revolutionary War reenactors camping out as the all-Black 1st Rhode Island Regiment and the 5th New York Regiment, George Washington and other founding fathers trotting in on horseback, and more actors playing the four New York signers of the Declaration of Independence and Long Island’s own Culper Spy Ring.
Colonial cooking, fife and drum musical performances, inflatable play areas, and history-themed family games will fill out the rest of the evening while residents wait for the nighttime drone show, state officials detailed.
“As we commemorate 250 years since our nation’s birth, special events – like those at Jones Beach, and our other State Parks and historic sites – offer residents and visitors alike a unique opportunity to explore and experience different regions of the state, and complement any getaway or extended vacation,” Empire State Development President Hope Knight said.
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