Gary Airshow to return after seven years
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For the first time in seven years, the Gary Airshow will take flight over the Lake Michigan shoreline. The Gary/Chicago International Airport announced the show will take place on August 5 and 6. The event marks the return of the Gary Airshow for the first time since 2016.
In May 2017, then-Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson cancelled the event, saying the city could not incur a $350,000 debt associated with hosting the show. She also said the city was unable to secure enough sponsors to help cover costs.
GCIA will serve as a staging area for the event, which will occur at the Marquette Park.
“While the COVID-19 pandemic and other limitations have kept the city from putting on the Airshow since it last took place in 2016, the Gary Airshow is back and our city’s ability to put on an event with the magnitude and precision like the Gary Airshow is better than ever,” said Gary Mayor Jerome Prince.
Details of the airshow, including a list of aerobatic performers, have not yet been announced.
Organizers says the Gary Airshow will receive backing from the city, the airport authority, and the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority.
“We are excited to be a part of this event,” said SSCVA Chairman Andy Qunell. “It is our mission to support attractions throughout the South Shore Indiana region – so the Gary Airshow is a perfect opportunity for us to get involved by attracting visitors to the City of Gary and promoting what the city has to offer.”
GCIA says in recent years it has been making investments in facilities, runway and infrastructure, making it better equipped to support the show than in 2016.