Drone display lights up downtown LA as thousands celebrate 4th of July

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Thousands of people gathered at Gloria Molina Grand Park in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday for its Summer Block Party celebrating the nation's 250th anniversary with music, dancing, food and a large drone show.

The event featured live entertainment on two stages and family-friendly activities throughout the evening as attendees marked Independence Day.

Hundreds of drones lit up the sky above the park, creating choreographed images during a special aerial presentation.

"I liked the meaning of it. I loved what they showed ... it was really good," one attendee said.

Visitors described the event as a community celebration that brought together people of all ages.

"I'm loving that there's so many kids, so many families ... such a huge variety of people," said Astrid O'Connor.

Many attendees arrived dressed for the holiday, with some wearing elaborate red, white and blue-themed costumes. Before the show, crews prepared more than 600 drones for the choreographed display.

"The park really prides itself on kind of sharing a story and creating that," said Vicki Sogue of Grizzly Entertainment.

The drone presentation drew cheers from the crowd and prompted reflections on the themes featured in the show.