500 drones, fireworks fill the sky over Gulfport before Cruisin’. Take a look
Gulfport Big Weekend got off to a brilliant start Friday night as a Sea of Stars filled the sky with 500 drones along with blasts of fireworks.
Some Mississippi Coast residents may have watched the drone show at the Summer Olympics opening ceremony in Tokyo, but were amazed to be witness it in person in Gulfport.
Starlight Aerial Productions from Michigan is one of five companies in the country licensed to do a drone show.
The neon colors on the drones against a black sky changed from a mermaid, to a dolphin moving in the waves, to a penguin and an alligator opening its mouth and waving its tail as the crowd “oohed” and “aawed.”
Presented by Hancock Whitney Bank as a fundraiser for the Mississippi Aquarium and a celebration of the 25th Cruisin’ The Coast, Sea of Stars spread out over both sides of U.S. 90 in Gulfport.
On the south side, an estimated 6,000 or more people sprawled out on blankets and huddled in chairs at Jones Park for the free show, hosted by the Gulfport Chamber of Commerce. They came early and passed the time listening to the bands and lining up at food trucks. The show was briefly delayed by winds.
“We don’t know what to expect,” said Carlene McClellan of Gulfport, who was in a line at the food truck while her 4-year-old grandsons munched her fries. “They’ve never been out to anything like this,” she said.
Neither has Sue Hiles, who moved to Long Beach a few months ago and is experiencing her first drone show and Cruisin’ The Coast. “I love it here,” she said.
North of Highway 90, a VIP party at Mississippi Aquarium to benefit the aquarium had people sampling Coast cuisine, posing for pictures with the pelicans and touring the aquarium.
“This is what the aquarium is here to do,” said Mayor Billy Hewes said of the first drone show in the region. “Bring new level entertainment to residents and visitors. They don’t expect things like this.”
The aquarium has brought new ideas and new development to Gulfport, he said, “Everything we had hoped for.”
David Hardy from Eley Guild Hardy Architects in Gulfport said, “What I really like is seeing Jones Park full,” he said. The goal is to connect the aquarium and the park across U.S. 90, he said, and he’s designed a pedestrian and tram bridge to do that. It’s one of the first bridges in Mississippi designed by an architect rather that by engineers, he said.
The celebration continues in Gulfport through the weekend, as View the Cruise expands to two days this year filling downtown Gulfport with antique and classic cars and entertainment.
It starts Saturday, a day ahead of Cruisin’ that is Oct. 3-10 this year, to give the car owners who arrive early something fun to and a boost to downtown restaurants and bars.
The event includes a free sunset concert Saturday at 7 p.m. and the car show and music continues all day Sunday.
This story was originally published October 2, 2021 at 2:02 AM.
