This New Year’s Eve, Central Park will now have neither fireworks nor the drone show meant to replace them.
The traditional pyrotechnics displays in both Central Park and Prospect Park were called off earlier this month after Mayor Eric Adams banned fireworks in response to the regional drought, though that restriction has since been lifted. The parks announced they would put on drone shows instead.
But on Saturday, a child required open-heart surgery after being hit in the chest by a drone at a show in Florida put on by the same vendor Central Park had booked, Texas-based Sky Elements, CNN reported. That incident is being probed by the Federal Aviation Administration, which generally grants permits for drone performances.
With Dec. 31 less than a week away, the Central Park show could not go on, according to New York Road Runners, the group that organizes the still-happening Midnight Run through the park on New Year’s Eve. The drone show, like the fireworks most years, was meant to accompany the run.
“Because of the timing, we were not able to either pivot back to fireworks or find another vendor,” Road Runners spokesperson Crystal Howard said. “We’re working to do some on-course things that will surprise and delight runners,” including extra DJs and perhaps some more “analog” light experiences.
The development follows a temporary FAA ban on drones in portions of New York and New Jersey, and an FBI investigation into widespread reports of drone sightings.
In Brooklyn, however, Prospect Park’s drone show is still happening.
The free “grand light display,” as the nonprofit Prospect Park Alliance refers to the performance in its event materials, will go on as planned on Tuesday night. The show is being put on by the vendor Santore, according to the group.
