Poulsbo planning drone show, other festivities for 4th of July
Published 1:30 am Friday, May 22, 2026
A drone show and other festivities are in the works to take place at the downtown Poulsbo waterfront July 4 in celebration of America’s 250th birthday.
The event would mark the first Independence Day celebration in Poulsbo since 2019, when Stonechild Chiefstick was killed in an officer-involved shooting before the city’s annual July 3 fireworks display at Waterfront Park. The City Council at its May 20 meeting approved an agenda item directing staff to prepare a budget amendment, supported by general fund reserves, to underwrite up to $21,000 for the one-time, non-precedent-setting support of the 250th 4th of July community celebration.
The July 4 celebration will feature the start of the Summer Concert series, a picnic gathering in Waterfront Park, dancing, and potentially a drone show in the evening, per city documents. Sponsorships have been received to underwrite the bands, but in order to secure the drone show, funding needs to be secured while other sponsorships are being solicited. Should a similar event happen in future years, it would be reliant upon community sponsorship and underwriting, and not city resources.
The picnic will take place from 2-6 p.m. with two sets of music to be performed during that time frame. If funding is secured, the drone show would take place around 10 p.m. and would last 15-20 minutes. There would be up to 300 drones in the show, operated by students from the Peninsula School District, documents state.
