Red River Valley Fair lights up the sky with new drone show

FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) - The Red River Valley Fair is adding a new attraction to this year’s lineup, and you’ll have to look up to see it.

A drone show featuring 350 illuminated drones is lighting up the night sky over Fargo each evening of the fair, according to organizers and show operators.

Earlier this year, members of the Red River Valley Fair team traveled to Australia in search of a fresh, high-impact attraction. They partnered with Aura Drones, a company that stages large-scale aerial light shows in Australia and across the United States.

“We’re running every single night. Three hundred fifty drones, 600 feet in the air. It’s going to be spectacular,” said Chris Greaves, head of operations for Aura Drone Show.

Each drone functions as a single point of light in the sky. Certified pilots and safety crews program every flight path, image and transition in advance to create animated scenes overhead.

This year’s show is designed around Fargo and the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States. Greaves said fairgoers can expect to see a giant fighter jet and a roughly 600-foot-tall American flag formed in lights, along with other patriotic imagery.

“A lot of work goes into the preparation of the show,” Greaves said. “Ninety percent of the work is in the preparation — designing the show, figuring out the storyboard, what’s going to wow the crowd, and putting things that are meaningful and tell a story in the sky.”

Once it’s dark, the drones’ reds, greens, purples and blues are visible for miles, creating a moving light show above the fairgrounds.

The drone show kicks off each night at dusk, around 10 p.m. Organizers say those attending Friday’s Jason Derulo concert should look up afterward for a special appearance from the Valley News Live logo in the sky.