17th Heritage of Flight Festival takes off this weekend

The New Carlisle Heritage of Flight Festival last year with the Airplane Parade down Main Street. Hundreds of people lined the street to see the floats as well as the airplanes towed by vintage tractors. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

Credit: Bill Lackey

Credit: Bill Lackey

The New Carlisle Heritage of Flight Festival last year with the Airplane Parade down Main Street. Hundreds of people lined the street to see the floats as well as the airplanes towed by vintage tractors. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

The streets of New Carlisle will be filled this weekend with wings, wheels, food and fun, games and rides, memories of heroes and new memories to be made.

The 17th annual Heritage of Flight Festival will have possibly its biggest event yet with three days of fall activities centered around Main Street of New Carlisle, with something to please all the senses. The festival will be 2-11 p.m. Friday, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free.

Friday leads off with the classic car show beginning at 4 p.m. with live music from The Fleez and the traditional chicken and noodles takeout from Honey Creek Presbyterian Church. The beer and brat tent will be open and live portrait and cartoon caricatures will also be available.

Saturday’s activities begin at 7 a.m. with a pancake breakfast and 5K run/walk at 8:30. Heritage of Flight’s centerpiece event, the Parade of Planes and Community Parade, will see aircraft of various sizes, classic cars, local groups, and others at 11 a.m.

Afternoon offerings will include the Flight Pageant Crowning Ceremony at 12:30 p.m. and Young Eagles free plane rides for ages 8-17 at the Andy Barnhart Airport and the annual attempt to break the Chicken Dance world record around the main stage, both at 1 p.m.

A local hero’s memory will be honored with the Deputy Matthew Yates Memorial Bike Run at 2 p.m. starting at the American Legion on State Route 235. Participants are asked to donate a new toy, which will be donated to the Toys for Tots program in the memory of the late Yates.

The Springfield News-Sun Bike Show will show off several bikes at 3 p.m. One of the new attractions of the bike activities will be the Blue Angels Tribute Bike that will be in the parade, leading the bike run and at the bike show, coming in from Illinois and representing the famed U.S. Navy Blue Angels flight demonstration team.

Other activities Saturday will be the Unicorn Challenge at 3 and the wing eating contest on the main stage at 5.

Sunday will start with a chartable frame of mind with the annual Mile of Food, trying to line State Route 571 with donated canned goods from Main Street to the airport. Other Sunday festival staples include one of the most fun and funniest events, Jim Slanker’s Memorial Chair Races at 1 p.m. and the National Kiddie Pedal Tractor Pull at 2 p.m.

Vendors will also be set up throughout the festival. For the full slate of Heritage of Flight events, activities, entertainment and more, go to www.heritageofflight.com.


HOW TO GO

What: Heritage of Flight Festival

Where: Downtown New Carlisle, Main Street

When: Friday, Sept 30, 2-11 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 1, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 2, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Admission: Free

More info: www.heritageofflight.com

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