The third Central Coast Airfest won’t take off in the fall due to safety and community concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event had been scheduled for Oct. 17 and 18 at the Santa Maria Public Airport.
Organizers said they were “extremely disappointed” about the cancellation.
“AirFest has proven to be a wonderful community event embraced by the entire Santa Maria Valley, and we were very much looking forward to bringing this event back in 2020” said Chris Kunkle, AirFest director.
“However, due to the ongoing concerns regarding COVID-19, community safety and the well-being of everyone involved, including our many international performers as well as the military services, we knew it best to cancel and focus on an even better event next year,” he added.
Central Coast Airfest was first held at the Santa Maria Airport in 2018 and again in 2019.
In both years, the event was awarded the first place Pinnacle Platinum Award for best Small Civilian Air Show category by the International Council of Air Shows (ICAS).
The award nomination packages for both years included videos, “The Inventor’s Dream” and “To Sail Beyond the Sunset,” which are available on the event’s website by clicking here.
The air show has included military and civilian acts providing aerial and acrobatic performances.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.