RAINBOW CITY — One of Northeast Alabama’s largest patriotic celebrations of the summer returns this Saturday as Rainbow City hosts its 4th Annual Freedom Flight Drone Show at the Rainbow City Mega SportsPlex. The free family-friendly event is part of the city’s America 250 celebration, commemorating the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States.

The event will feature live music, food trucks, vendors, a kid zone, and a spectacular patriotic drone light show after dark. Organizers encourage attendees to bring lawn chairs and blankets and enjoy an evening of entertainment leading up to the aerial display. The event is scheduled for Saturday, June 27, at the Rainbow City Mega SportsPlex located at 625 Kinzie Lane.

According to event organizers, this year’s Freedom Flight will honor America 250, celebrating 250 years of American history with a drone light show featuring patriotic-themed aerial animations. The event continues a tradition that has grown significantly over the past several years, with Rainbow City’s drone shows becoming a popular alternative to traditional fireworks displays.

This year will feature two separate drone shows, a sponsor show at 8:20 p.m. and Patriotic Drone Show at 9:15. Make sure not to leave following the first show, you do not want to miss the second show!

Entertainment Schedule

Saturday’s entertainment lineup includes:

• 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. — Grayson & Dean
• 5:00 p.m. – 6:45 p.m. — Pioneer Chicken Stand
• 7:00 p.m. – 8:20 p.m. — Will Moseley
• 8:20 p.m. – 8:35 p.m. — Sponsor Drone Flight
• 8:35 p.m. – 9:15 p.m. — Will Moseley
• 9:15 p.m. — Patriotic Drone Show

WEIS Coverage

WEIS Radio will be broadcasting live from the Freedom Flight beginning at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

Listeners can tune to WEIS FM 100.5 for the official audio soundtrack accompanying the drone shows. WEIS will also provide additional patriotic music, live updates, event information, and coverage from the SportsPlex throughout the evening brought to you by Rainbow City KIA and Nissan of Gadsden.

Parking and Shuttle Information

Organizers have designated parking and viewing areas throughout the SportsPlex complex. Shuttle pickup locations will be available from designated parking areas to help transport attendees to the event grounds. Guests are encouraged to arrive early to avoid traffic delays and secure preferred viewing locations.

Event Layout and Viewing Areas

The Freedom Flight site plan includes designated parking areas, vendor locations, a kid zone, viewing areas, and restricted access zones to ensure safe operation of the drone show. Attendees should follow event signage and directions from event staff when arriving at the SportsPlex.

The Freedom Flight Drone Show is free and open to the public.

For those unable to attend in person, or who can see the show, but are not able to be close enough to hear the audio, coverage and audio from the drone performances will be available on WEIS FM 100.5 beginning at 6:30 p.m. Saturday evening.