The City Council has decided to cancel the Fourth of July drone show at the Des Moines Marina and redirect those funds to support other community events.
This decision was based in part on feedback received through the recent Community Enrichment Services (CES) survey, which indicated a desire for more community-wide events throughout the year, as well as consideration of the overall expenditure associated with producing the drone show. Council has directed staff to explore the possibility of hosting a scaled-down Fourth of July event without the drone component, while continuing to provide a meaningful community celebration.
The high cost of the drone contract has limited the City’s ability to fund more than one large-scale event annually.
The Fourth of July event cost over $123,000 in 2025. It was almost completely funded by the lodging tax, collected on overnight stays in Des Moines. Lodging tax revenue is dedicated to community events, promotion and tourism.
The lodging tax is scheduled to decrease by 20 percent in 2026. This will reduce the funding available for this year’s drone show. The difference would be an added cost to the City’s general fund, which pays for all City staff and services.
The Council determined that holding more smaller events is a higher priority than a single signature event.
Staff will develop a proposal for using lodging tax dollars to fund multiple community events in 2026, possibly including a Fourth of July celebration.
If you are interested in hearing the Council discussion on this, please visit the February 5 Committee of the Whole meeting video on the City’s website.