Langley residents and visitors alike rejoiced Saturday night as a fleet of drones lit the night sky with colorful shapes.

The quieter alternative to a traditional fireworks display attracted rave reviews from viewers on the ground.

“The zero-emission, zero-boom show was riveting with perfect weather, perfect setting, perfect everything,” said Craig Cyr, a member of the Langley City Council.

Mayor Kennedy Horstman said the event exceeded her expectations.

“Langley Lights the Night doubtless delivered positive economic impact, but it also delivered important intangible benefits: I both felt and witnessed the joy of being together, a sense of pride in who we are and where we live, and a shared sense of wonder as we watched the light show together,” she said in a statement.

The Langley Chamber of Commerce spent $68,000 to put on the aerial show and its accompanying festivities, with help from Island County in the form of a $50,000 grant.

Nicole Whittington-Johnson, executive director of the chamber, said one of her favorite compliments was that the event felt like Choochokam, a former longtime music and arts festival.

Langley Lights the Night had a way of bringing people together who maybe hadn’t seen each other in a few years. Pre-show festivities included various food vendors, live music and kids’ activities. Whittington-Johnson estimated that 2,000 to 3,000 people showed up for the festivities, and 1,500 to 1,700 lingered for the light show.

The 15-minute spectacle featured a hand waving at Camano Island and an animated blue heron, an acknowledgement of the Blue Heron Canoe Family, which is currently visiting Langley on their travels. The show was visible to all within a three-mile radius.

Whittington-Johnson was thankful that the Village by the Sea didn’t encounter any issues with its drones. In SeaTac, a Fourth of July drone show ended in an epic fail when the aerial vehicles lost signal and toppled into the lake.

“My dream is that this will become an annual event,” she said. “I think it’s something that the town of Langley is really craving.”

Photo by Peter Morton The drone show was visible from the homes of many Langley residents.

Photo by Dennis Browne Pre-show festivities included live music, food vendors and kids’ activities.

Photo by Dennis Browne A little boy dances to the Shifty Sailors.