SOLVANG, Calif., Nov. 15, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The
City of Solvang has officially
announced plans for the first annual Solvang Julefest Christmas
Drone Show, "Aurora Dronealis", scheduled for Saturday, December 21, 2019
(http://www.SolvangDrones.com). The new addition to the annual
Solvang Julefest festivities (http://www.SolvangJulefest.org;
pronounced 'Yule-Fest'), which run in their entirety from
November 30, 2019 through
January 3, 2020, will be the only
holiday drone show of its kind in Southern California, during the month of
December.
Sponsored by the City of
Solvang, and designed and executed by Firefly Drone Shows
(http://www.FireflyDroneShows.com), one of only a handful of
FAA-licensed drone show operators in the U.S., the synchronized
drone swarm light show will include 100 autonomous drones with
similarly choreographed music, in an approximately 15-minute
display. The December 21 Christmas
Drone Show, which will begin at 6:30
PM, will be visible five-plus miles from the show's base
point, a central Solvang location
in the heart of Santa Ynez Valley wine country.
"Aurora Dronealis exemplifies Solvang's melding of old fashioned holiday
charm with cutting-edge, modern technology," commented Scott Shuemake, President of IDK Events,
producers of the 2019 Solvang Julefest. Shuemake continued, "This
Christmas Drone Show is an 'only in Solvang' happening, meant to brand the town in
visitors' minds as the ultimate Southern
California holiday experience."
Although viewable from five-plus miles, the optimal viewing
experience for the Christmas Drone Show will be within a few
thousand feet. Producers of the December
21 Solvang Julefest drone show will be offering ticketed
grandstand seating at the show's base, providing the most immersive
experience with a custom soundtrack, concession stands, holiday
vendors and more. Grandstand tickets will be available at
http://www.SolvangDrones.com. In the event that the December 21 drone show cannot happen due to
weather conditions, the show will occur on Sunday, December 22.
The family-friendly, custom-designed drone light show, which
will display holiday imagery familiar to all ages, is the newest
addition to this year's revamped Solvang Julefest, the Santa Barbara County town's annual celebration
of all things "holidays". The month-long, 2019 holiday season event
will entail multiple seasonal happenings all located within the
walkable California Central Coast destination of Solvang, most recently named by Country Living
as one of the USA's "Best
Christmas Towns".
"We're so excited for this fantastic holiday display. We can't
imagine a more grand expression of what Solvang has to offer during the holiday
season. It is quite literally, a shining example of all that's new
to Julefest, and to the entire town," said Solvang Mayor Ryan
Toussaint.
Aside from its entertainment value, the new Christmas Drone Show
addresses Solvang community
concerns about noise as a result of a possible alternate Julefest
event: fireworks.
Shuemake added, "The drone show will not produce the noise that
fireworks do, which often scares pets. Also, the fire, smoke and
safety concerns which arise from fireworks displays, will be
nonexistent with a drone show."
The 2019 edition of Solvang Julefest will once again feature the
event's crowd-pleasing components like the interactive Nisse
Adventure experience, evening Candlelight Tours – with a VIP-level
option – and visits with Santa in Solvang Park, as well as the
annual Tree Lighting event, Skål Wine and Stein Stroll, and Julefest Parade, all with
deliberate enhancements to heighten holiday spirits.
New to this year's Solvang Julefest, in addition to the
Christmas Drone Show, are different facets to Santa visits in
Solvang Park. Accompanying the traditionally-free photos with
Santa, will be a photo opportunity in the Solvang Park Gazebo: a
photographic setting for capturing "holiday moments". Solvang Park
will also feature a new Julefest play area, "Santa's Lade" (Santa's
Barn), a children's winter wonderland with snow and live
animals.
Also new to this year's Solvang Julefest, is the celebration of
Saint Lucia Day on December 13, the
highlight of which will be a lighted, evening children's Parade
through town, led by the symbolic "Saint
Lucia", a young woman chosen to portray the special saint.
The after-dark procession will include illuminated floats and
Parade entries.
On New Year's Eve (December 31),
in Solvang Park, guests will enjoy a family-friendly, daytime
countdown to the Danish New Year with a simulcast of the party
happening in Copenhagen's Tivoli
Gardens.
Solvang, known for its
Danish-American roots, architecture and design details, pastries,
bakeries and wine tasting rooms, also boasts dozens upon dozens of
unique boutiques, restaurants and gourmet food purveyors.
Carefully-curated indie book stores, high-end stationers,
children's shops and spice merchants sit alongside foodie havens
offering up everything from Persian cuisine to ramen noodles, Greek
bites to Italian standbys, iconic Danish dishes to elevated
new-Californian fare and Michelin-honored tasting menus, to
heritage grain sourdough loaves or Spanish cheeses, to small-batch,
locally-roasted coffee, to speakeasy tiki cocktails and craft
beer.
"Solvang's rows of shops and
wide array of dining options, form an indulgent holiday shopping
scene during Julefest," exclaimed Mayor Toussaint. "Why not start a
new holiday tradition with the family and create memories that last
a lifetime?"
Dog-friendly and ideal for kids, Solvang Julefest promotes
family fun and adventure through traditional holiday-favorite
activities, with the addition of more-adult, wine country
entertainment. Bolstering this year's late-night appeal, are plans
to keep the holiday gift shopping opportunities flowing into the
evening with extended hours at Solvang merchants; sips and nibbles in some of
the town's most popular retail spots for added shopping and
strolling cheer; and live music and entertainment in select bars
and wine tasting venues.
The preliminary schedule of this year's Solvang Julefest events
is listed below; further updates to the 2019 Julefest schedule and
event announcements will be made over the course of the next
month.
Solvang Julefest 2019 is produced by the City of Solvang (http://www.CityofSolvang.com)
in partnership with Northern
California-based IDK Events (http://www.idkevents.com).
Front-of-house Santa's Little Helpers for the 2019 Solvang Julefest
Christmas Drone Show, will be provided by Solvang Rotary
(http://www.SolvangRotary.com).
All Solvang Julefest events are open to the public with either
free or paid admission. More information is available at
http://www.SolvangJulefest.org, with direct links to ticketing for
the paid portions of the holiday happenings. Event updates will
also be posted to the Solvang Julefest Instagram and Facebook
accounts: @SolvangJulefest and facebook.com/SolvangJulefest.
Questions, media requests for interviews and/or photos, may be
directed to Anna Ferguson-Sparks,
Stiletto Marketing, at 1.877.327.2656 or info [at]
stilettomarketing [dot] com.
About the City of Solvang:
Known as the "Danish Capital of America", the City of Solvang is located in the Santa Ynez
Valley in Santa Barbara County,
California. Founded by a group of Danish-Americans in 1911
and later incorporated in 1985, Solvang is home to a number of bakeries,
restaurants, and merchants offering a taste of Denmark in
Southern California. Sleek,
Scandinavian design meets Old World charm in Solvang's numerous interior courtyards, cozy
communal spaces and open-air venues, where vacation itineraries for
all, unfold. The walkable town offers plentiful free parking
options for locals and day-trippers, and nearly 20 lodging options
for staycation-ers, weekenders and mid-week travelers, at all
vacation budget levels. For more information, including lists of
events and things to do, where to eat and drink, and hotels, visit
http://www.SolvangUSA.com.
About IDK Events:
IDK Events is a California-based event production company with
a penchant for creating memorable, seamless experiences on every
scale. IDK Events was founded by President Scott Shuemake and Vice President of Production
Jacob Dornan. Together with their
team, Scott and Jacob focus their skills on four key areas:
Festival Production, Parade Production, Registration for Exhibitors
and Parade Contingents, and Neighborhood-Based Events. While known
for larger-than-life occasions like The Annual San Francisco Pride
Parade, Union Street Fair, and Formula-E events, the company
executes smaller-scale operations as well. Wine walks, street
fairs, and more community-based gatherings have all received the
IDK treatment. Powered by more than a decade of experience,
thousands of industry contacts, unrivaled vendor negotiation
skills, and the innovative vision to create a lasting impression,
as an LGBT-certified owned business, IDK Events came from humble
beginnings with a now-global reach.
About Firefly Drone Shows:
Firefly Drone Shows is a premium provider of
precisely-choreographed, 100% customizable drone light shows. A
company known for creating immersive experiences and being the apex
of events around the world, Firefly offers the latest in drone
light show technology, operated by the most experienced pilots, and
fully licensed by the FAA. Firefly's team of professionals is
thrilled to bring this illuminated experience to the City of Solvang for Julefest 2019. Visit
http://www.FireflyDroneShows.com to learn more.
SOURCE City of Solvang,
California