Austin Peay and the College of STEM to sponsor drone show at NYE Party

By: Colby Wilson December 17, 2025

The drone show at Montgomery County Parks and Recreation’s 2024 New Year’s Eve Party pays tribute to Clarksville’s establishment in 1784. | Contributed photo

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — For the second consecutive year, Austin Peay State University (APSU) and the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) will sponsor two drone shows at the New Year’s Eve Party, hosted by Montgomery County Parks and Recreation at the Downtown Commons.

The celebration will kick off with a drone show at 9 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, with another closing out the festivities at midnight. In addition to the drone shows, the evening will feature live music, a midnight balloon drop, dance floor, photo-booth trailer, food trucks and much more.

APSU’s Angie Hernandez-Scoggins, an assistant professor of animation in the Department of Art + Design, has devoted part of her ART 4410 Animation 3 class this semester to developing mock-ups, getting client feedback and sign-off, and creating 3D-animated designs for the different images that will be used in the show. The class has collaborated with UAV Pro, Inc. to learn more about the design and development process required to create the animations for a drone show.

UAV Pro, Inc. will also offer a drone workshop at 11 a.m. on Dec. 31, at Fortera Stadium (weather permitting), for those interested in learning more about creating and executing their own small-scale shows. Registration for those workshops can be found HERE.

"This project gives our animation students valuable experience creating designs for a real-world application," said Dr. Karen Meisch, dean of the College of STEM. "It's exciting to see their creative work become a traditional part of Clarksville's New Year's celebration. I'd like to thank Graham Hill and everyone at UAV Pro for being incredible partners once again to bring something beautiful to our community."

The event is open to the public, and the community is invited to join APSU and Montgomery County in bidding adieu to 2025 and welcoming 2026.

About the Austin Peay College of STEM

The College of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) offers studies in agriculture, astronomy, aviation sciences, biology, chemistry, computer science, earth and environmental sciences, engineering physics, engineering technology, information technology, mathematics, medical laboratory sciences, radiologic sciences and physics. Our discipline-based programs are student-centered and designed to prepare students for responsible positions in research, industry, education, medicine and government.