The skies above Silver Dollar City get a dazzling upgrade this July, as the theme park unveils its first-ever drone and fireworks spectacular—Night Sky! The man behind the magic knows a thing or two about both technology and tradition.
The Haygood family's journey at Silver Dollar City began in 1993 and had a ten-year run as one of the park’s most popular acts before launching their own show on the Branson strip. Today, Michael’s love of tech innovation has taken him beyond the stage into the skies. The science behind the drone show is something a self-proclaimed “nerd” like Michael is excited to share.
“These drones are so intelligent. They know exactly where they’re suppose to be, what color they’re supposed to be and what time they need to go. They also know to safely stay about 10 feet apart during flight.”
Michael goes on to talk about RTK GPS and station relays. It’s very detailed tech talk that boils down to one undeniable fact: Every detail of the 14-minute experience is a creative custom show for Silver Dollar City, and will wow audiences for 23 straight nights. Haygood’s SkyGlow team is keen on not only a beautiful show, but a safe one. Pilots go through extensive training and practice strict protocols. In addition, each drone can send an alert if it needs to be pulled from formation and the beautiful show will go on.
“Guests will see symbols of the Ozarks, moments from the park’s story, and bursts of pure summer joy written across the sky,” Michael says. “Sections of the show take you on an emotional journey through a day at the park. I can’t wait to watch visitors’ faces as they see what we’ve created.”
“This show marks a new chapter in how we celebrate summer,” said Casey Robertson, Director of Entertainment at Silver Dollar City. “We’re blending tradition with innovation, and there’s no one better than Michael to help us do that. His story is a part of our story.”
“I wouldn’t be here today, and my family wouldn’t be here today, if it weren’t for Silver Dollar City giving us a shot all those years ago,” Michael adds. “We were just a bunch of little kids with a lot of energy trying to make people smile. Walking through this park today takes me right back to being 8 years old. I’m honored to be part of something that gives families added smiles at the end of their day.”
Night Sky takes flight nightly at 9:15 p.m., July 12–Aug. 3, and is best viewed from The Plaza.
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