The skies above the Forest City will be filled with an array of fighter jets and military aircraft, while on the ground there will be rides and cotton candy as two staple events return to London this weekend.
Airshow London is back for the seventh straight year at the London International Airport and the Western Fair returns for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
Jets and other aircraft began flying above the city earlier this week. However, the airshow, a mix of drive-in viewing and static displays, officially kicks off Friday afternoon and runs through Sunday.
Among this year's headliners are the United States Air Force Thunderbirds, Canadian Forces-18 Hornet demo team, USAF F-22 Raptor demo team, the B-17 Yankee Lady, and the C-47 Hairless Joe Skytrain, among many other performers.
The CF Snowbirds were scheduled to perform, but the team announced it had to back out on September 1 due to an ongoing operational pause after an incident with an aircraft during take off early last month.
For the third year in a row, the show will run its SkyDrive event, giving spectators a designated spot to watch the show either from inside their vehicles or tailgate style with personal chairs, so long as it's within their designated 20 by 25 foot space. Non-alcoholic beverages and food are welcome. Some food trucks will be on-site as well.
Now that COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted, attendees will be able to walk around and look at ground displays and get an opportunity to meet with the performance crews. There will be a trolley system to transport people from their parking site to the on-site attractions.
Airshow London officials say over 7,500 vehicles and 30,000 aviation enthusiasts will attend the three-day event.
On Tuesday, Airshow London announced that tickets for all three days were sold out. Tickets were available online and will not be available at the gates. Gates open for the show at 3 p.m. Friday, and the show starts at 5:30 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday, the gates open at 10 a.m. and the show begins at 1 p.m.
Attendees are encouraged to download the Airshow London app, which includes information about the event, including performer schedules.
For more information visit airshowlondon.com.
The Western Fair, which in years prior to the pandemic attracted average crowds of up to 200,000 people, begins its ten day run at 3 p.m. on Friday.
The theme of the 2022 Western Fair is “happy days" - an ode to the feeling of fair enthusiasts following two years of COVID-19 shutdowns and restrictions.
The return to an in-person fair comes with a new layout. The fair, including its dozens of midway rides and food vendors, have been shifted to the south side of Florence Street near the Agriplex. There will be live music with back-to-back nights of concerts. On September 14, Toronto-based indie pop band Valley will perform. The following night, Finger Eleven and I Mother Earth will rock the stage. There will also be live music through the fair's run on the new OEV music garden.
Other attractions at this year's fair include aerial acrobatics, stunt driving motorcyclists, pup performances, and bowling ball jugglers. A full list can be found at westernfair.ca.
The fair runs until September 18. Kids 10 and under and seniors 70 plus will be granted free entry, while the price of general admission for everyone else remains at the 2019 price of $15.
-With files from Miranda Chant
