Exeter Independence Celebration: Fireworks and drone show free to the public
There is a mural in downtown Exeter of John Schultz standing under a sky lit up by fireworks. The mural commemorates Schultz’s service as chief pyro-technician of the Exeter Lions Club Independence Celebration.
Started by Schultz in 1946, Exeter has been home to an annual free fireworks show, pleasing not only Exeter residents but residents of the nearby communities.
It is a tradition that will continue in 2024 because the Exeter Lions Club will be hosting a fireworks and drone show event from 5:30-10 p.m. July 3 at Dobson Field in Exeter.
The event will start at 5:30 p.m. with food and non-food vendors, and entertainment will be provided by the band August, which has been pleasing local music fans for 50 years. The fireworks and first-ever drone show in Exeter will start at around 9 p.m. and provide families with about 30 minutes of viewing pleasure.
“You don’t want to miss the first-ever drone show,” said Exeter Lions Club President Andrew Rodriguez. “People will be talking about this for a long time. Hopefully, this is a new tradition that we can carry on for a long time.”
The event will have a completely different feel for many Exeter Fourth of July celebration attendees. The entire event will be held at Dobson Field. Dobson Field has been home to the fireworks celebration, but recently other Fourth of July events have been held at Exeter’s downtown city park.
For people who wish to avoid the parking hassle, the Exeter Lions Club is offering VIP parking to 150 cars for $20. VIP parking tickets can be purchased online at exeterlions.org. The Exeter Lions Club will also be holding drawings for some big prizes.
“We’ve done the fireworks show forever,” Rodriguez said. “It started in 1946. Our main purpose is to give back to the community and give families and children a chance to make memories for a lifetime. This is a chance to come out and enjoy a free show.”
Rodriguez recruited the band August to perform at this year’s celebration. The band has been around for a long time. It will actually be holding a 50-year anniversary celebration Aug. 17 in Tulare.
“The band August has been around for 50 years now,” Rodriguez said. “They play a lot of different genres of music. They keep up with the older and new music. They play a wide range of music. People will enjoy their music. They’re really good musicians.”
Rodriguez said he invites people to come out and enjoy the band. They are invited to dance, or if they prefer, they can bring out the lawn chairs and sit by the stage and enjoy the music. Families are encouraged to bring their own chairs, canopies and ice chests to give them a comfortable setup. They will be able to purchase food from several food vendors, which include barbecue and Mexican food among others.
And he encourages people to stick around all night for the first-ever drone show in the city. It is an addition to the fireworks show Rodriguez is excited about.
“I don’t know how many people have seen a drone show. I haven’t seen one personally, but I’ve seen some online. It seems pretty amazing. It’s larger than life," he said. "When I wanted to do the drone show, I was thinking about the kids and what their experience would be like. Maybe this will make kids interested in aviation or something that pertains to drones or robotics. Everything was done with the kids in mind. I hope it is something they never forget.”
Rodriguez said he always gets asked the question - why July 3? The answer is simple.
“In the past, the Lions Club has had some members lighting off the fireworks and it saved a lot of money. Since some of these members have retired or passed away, we have to hire a company to come out and light the fireworks. Over the past 10 years, the price of fireworks has increased and this helps reduce the cost by half. It also lets families stay home on the fourth and support local firework stands that also put money back into the community.”
This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Exeter's fireworks and drone show free to the public