Goleta approves pilot Fourth‑of‑July drone show at Dos Pueblos High School

The Goleta City Council on April 1 authorized the city manager to enter into an agreement with droneshow.com LLC for a pilot Fourth‑of‑July community drone show at Dos Pueblos High School, with a contract amount not to exceed $50,000.

Kelly Hoover, the city’s community relations manager, told council the proposal is a pilot event intended to provide a community alternative to fireworks. The core drone‑show fee — the vendor price for the choreographed 14‑minute performance — is $50,000, Hoover said; as of the council meeting the city had raised $43,500 in private donations, including a $25,000 lead gift from Yardi Systems. Staff estimated the full event cost (security, custodial, entertainment, AV, promotion, on‑site staffing) at $65,000–$70,000 and said additional fundraising of about $20,000–$25,000 would be needed to cover operating costs.

Hoover described the show as a roughly 14‑minute animated light presentation using about 50 drones capable of flying to 400 feet and visible on a clear night up to 7–10 miles away. The city has the support of the Santa Barbara Unified School District and Dos Pueblos High School to use the stadium; staff said the home stands seat about 2,000 and the visitor side would be closed for safety during the display. Santa Barbara Airbus has offered shuttle support if needed.

Council members probed logistics including parking, neighborhood impacts along Cathedral Oaks, capacity plans and insurance. City staff said the drone vendor carries commercial general liability and aircraft insurance (staff cited $2 million) and that a facilities use agreement with the school district would define facility liability and responsibilities. The city will coordinate with the Sheriff’s Office on patrols and crowd management; staff noted that people often seek alternatives to city‑sanctioned fireworks and that a city event could reduce illegal firework activity.

Council approved a motion to authorize the city manager to execute the vendor agreement not to exceed $50,000. The vote was unanimous. Staff said the event is a one‑year pilot: if it is successful the city will explore community groups or partners to assume operations in future years.