Stars Over Clayton Brings Hundreds Downtown for a Night to Remember
What a night for Clayton.
The inaugural Stars Over Clayton brought hundreds of people to Clayton City Hall Park on July 1 for an evening of food, music, family activities, local vendors, community celebration, and a patriotic drone light show over downtown Clayton.
Hosted by the Clayton Merchants & Business Association in partnership with the City of Clayton, the free event was created to bring people downtown, celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, and showcase the businesses, restaurants, shops, galleries, and community spirit that make Clayton such a special place.
Now Georgia covered the event with photos and a full recap. You can read their article here: Hundreds gather for inaugural Stars Over Clayton drone show.
A Community Celebration at City Hall Park
The evening began at 6:00 PM with food trucks, community booths, live music from a DJ, children’s activities, local vendors, and families gathering throughout Clayton City Hall Park before the drone show began shortly after 9:30 PM. According to Now Georgia, hundreds attended the celebration. Read the full Now Georgia recap.
Families enjoyed games, crafts, food, and time together downtown while visitors browsed vendor booths and took in the festive atmosphere before the evening concluded with the synchronized drone light show.
A Patriotic Drone Show Over Downtown Clayton
The drone show lit up the sky above downtown Clayton with patriotic images in honor of America’s 250th birthday. The aerial display included images such as the Statue of Liberty, the Liberty Bell, the state of Georgia, and other patriotic scenes that created a memorable moment for everyone gathered below.
Mayor Roy Quilliams welcomed the crowd before the show and called it the first of what organizers hope will become an annual tradition.
Thank You to Our Community, Sponsors, and Volunteers
CMBA President Sonya Shook thanked the community and the sponsors who helped make Stars Over Clayton possible, calling it a wonderful event for everyone.
CMBA also extends a heartfelt thank you to the City of Clayton, the event sponsors, participating vendors, downtown merchants, volunteers, families, visitors, and everyone who came out to support the first Stars Over Clayton.
Events like this do not happen without people willing to show up, pitch in, support local businesses, and believe in what downtown Clayton can continue to become.
Why Stars Over Clayton Matters
Stars Over Clayton was designed to be more than a light show. It was created to bring people into downtown Clayton, encourage visitors to explore local shops and restaurants, and support the merchants who help make our community strong.
CMBA Secretary Kayla Flaherty shared with Now Georgia that organizers intentionally chose a drone show instead of a traditional fireworks display so the event could offer something different while not competing with the many Independence Day fireworks celebrations already held around Rabun County’s lakes.
She also emphasized the importance of bringing people downtown to support local businesses, noting that when businesses do well in Clayton, the whole community wins.
Looking Ahead
Stars Over Clayton showed what is possible when local organizations, city leadership, volunteers, businesses, and residents work together.
Organizers hope this inaugural event will become an annual tradition that continues to grow, attract visitors, support downtown merchants, and celebrate the spirit of Clayton.
CMBA is proud to help represent the businesses and community that make Clayton such a wonderful place to live, work, visit, and explore.
Thank you again to everyone who helped make the first Stars Over Clayton a success. We look forward to seeing you downtown again soon.
To stay connected with future CMBA events, merchant opportunities, sponsorships, and volunteer needs, please contact ClaytonCMBA@gmail.com.
