Could Drones Replace Old Lyme’s Town Fireworks? Officials Begin Discussion

OLD LYME, CT – Library Lane resident Judith Archer has spent years urging town leaders, including three first selectmen, to reconsider the annual fireworks display launched from the school campus near her home.

Now, her long-held complaint is sparking a broader conversation among the Board of Selectmen about whether it might be time to replace the town’s pyrotechnic tradition with a more modern alternative. 

Archer said she shut the windows to her home during this year’s July 25 show, but opened them before turning in for the night. She said she soon woke up with a sore throat and difficulty swallowing in a room filled with smoke. 

Old Lyme’s fireworks are launched from Lyme Street behind the high school, which puts the display near the residential neighborhoods of Library Lane and Dunns Lane. 

“It really bothers me that I don’t have a choice in this happening,” she said. 

She said technological advances have produced better options for neighbors and the environment – including drone shows. 

She pointed to the July 4 Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular, which for the first time featured 1,300 drones lighting the night 15 minutes before the traditional pyrotechnics show went off. In Old Saybrook, 200 drones flew over Town Hall to cap the town’s Celebrate Saybrook Street Party last month. 

“I’m not against people having a good time,” Archer said.

Selectman Jim Lampos at this week’s Board of Selectmen meeting said he’s always been a “pro-fireworks sort of guy.” But the advent of drone technology has him rethinking his stance. 

“I thought maybe since we’re a year out now, we can at least start a discussion about considering a drone show,” he said. 

That means researching pricing and getting feedback from residents about the potential change, according to the selectman. 

“I think it does have an impact on the neighborhood that’s a little greater than some of the other traditional fireworks shows that happen on the water,” he said. 

The display is typically held on the last Saturday in July as part of the Midsummer Festival in the town’s historic district. 

Officials said the roughly 50-acre Town Woods Park has been considered as an alternative site in the past, but was nixed because the nonprofit organization High Hopes provides equine therapy next door. 

According to First Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker, the town budgeted about $29,000 for this year’s fireworks display, including staffing, sound services and pyrotechnics. 

Selectman John Mesham predicted some residents would object to replacing the annual fireworks show.

“I think it is very traditional,” Mesham said. “I think there might be some pushback from people in the public about that.”

Shoemaker agreed the town should explore options but emphasized the cost would need to be considered. She said she heard the price tag on the Old Saybrook drone show was roughly $40,000.  

She suggested collaborating with other local groups that currently offer fireworks, including those in the Hawk’s Nest and Point O’ Woods beach areas. 

“If we pooled our money, whether it’s yearly or every other year, we could do something all together so everyone could enjoy it,” she said.

Archer said she’s not alone in her concerns. She added fireworks can be frightening for veterans reminded of combat and for pets, while smoke and debris can linger in nearby neighborhoods after the show.

She recalled that after one fireworks show several years ago, she and a neighbor brought plastic shopping bags filled with debris to Town Hall after collecting it from their yards. 

“I filled up six bags, and that was not including what was up on the roof,” she said. 

She encouraged town officials to look at what neighboring communities are doing, including Old Saybrook. 

“They’re taking a step ahead. Why can’t Old Lyme do it?” she said.