Festival of drones? Why these Ontario towns are replacing Diwali’s famed fireworks with drone shows

Detailed summary

The town, which held its first Diwali drone show in 2023, has been at the forefront of a growing wave of municipalities and organizations eschewing the blaze of fireworks for a…

Caledon’s night sky will be filled with dancing multicoloured lights on Saturday evening to celebrate Diwali — not fireworks, but drones.

The town, which held its first Diwali drone show in 2023, has been at the forefront of a growing wave of municipalities and organizations eschewing the blaze of fireworks for a swarm of drones, with reasons ranging from public safety to fear of sparking wildfires to a preference for the futuristic technology that can tell a story in 3D images.

Brampton’s annual Diwali Mela now incorporates a drone show along with fireworks, as did a Diwali festival in Ajax last month (they were not permitted to also have fireworks due to the event being outside the three days where Diwali fireworks are permitted by the Town of Ajax, according to a town spokesperson).

For Caledon, a drone show was a way to honour the festival’s message of the triumph of light over…

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