I Loved The State Fair Drone Shows, How About You?

If you missed the post-concert combination drone shows last weekend at the Missouri State Fair, I think you missed out.

First, it's marveling at technology. Drones have been around for a while, so the amazingness of some guy being able to fly this helicopter block-looking thing and grab pictures looking down at everything isn't so amazing anymore. Yet, I did see a truck that seemed to be from a company that used drones for crop dusting. That's an amazing use for a drone I had never thought about. Using a drone for crop dusting made me wonder if you could use drones to fight brush fires, wildfires, and the like. And what other things can drones be used for?

One of those things is drone shows. It's the intersection of technology and art, all coming together to amaze folks. You better believe I was amazed when I started seeing specific images of our state fair in the sky while corresponding music was being pumped through the grandstand's sound system, along with fireworks going off alongside the drones.

Whether it was an outline of Bart, the Missouri State Fair mascot, a representation of the iconic Missouri State Fair Centennial entrance, or just an acknowledgment of 4-H Clubs and the Future Farmers of America that so many local teens are a part of, it was just special.

Mix patriotic symbols like the flag with very specific regional treasures like Route 66 or our capital dome in Jefferson City, create a soundtrack of relatable songs, and, in my opinion, we had a very fun drone show.

I don't know if you need fireworks next to the drone show. They didn't have the drones and the fireworks as one big combined show. The fireworks, facing the grandstand stage, seemed to be shot off from the left while the drone show was going to the right. The drones and fireworks never co-mingled, although some of the fireworks smoke drifted over towards the drones.

You had to choose. Should I watch the fireworks, which were also very good, or the drone show? I focused more on the drone show, which was synced to the music. Yet, the noise from the fireworks seemed to add to everything that was going on at that moment. It also may have made the drone show a little bit easier for folks outside the grandstand, who might not have been able to hear the soundtrack, make it seem more normal.

With fireworks, whether there's music or just the noise and explosions that accompany the show, it's all there. Drones, at least from what little experience I have, don't seem to be very noisy. So I could see where It'd be oddly quiet if you're watching the drone show outside of the grandstand, where maybe you can't hear the music. Perhaps that alone is the reason to pair drones and fireworks together.

Speaking of the music, I thought they did a nice job putting music to the drone show. Whether it was playing a version of "Route 66" when the Route 66 Shield was the visual, some appropriate country tunes while celebrating the agricultural nature of our state fair, or even the inclusion of "Our State Fair" at the end of the show, yes, it was cheesy, but for me, it seemed the perfect way to end the show.

I hope the drone shows return next year, hopefully, a little bigger and better. If you missed it this year, stick around and be amazed next year. It's the perfect way to wrap up a grandstand concert or a visit to our state fair.