It’s part beer fest, part air show, part concert and all party.
I’m describing, of course, Hangar 24 Craft Brewing’s AirFest and 10th anniversary, which takes place this weekend at Redlands Municipal Airport, 1755 Sessums Drive.
The festivities are set for noon to 10 p.m. Saturday (May 19), and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday (May 20).
There’s a lot happening those two days, including:
- Air show: Dozens of aerial (and ground) performers — everything from biplanes to jet fighters, acrobatic helicopters and even a jet car — will take to the skies (and the runway) from noon-7:50 p.m. Saturday and noon-3:20 p.m. Sunday.
- Concert performances: Bands performing on Saturday include NØ Surrender from the Kids Rock Free School of Music at the Fender Center for the Performing Arts; Electric Ash; and Foo Fighters tribute band Fooz Fighters. On Sunday, the Wheeland Brothers and Sublime tribute band 40 Oz. to Freedom take the stage.
- Beer fest: Hangar 24 has invited quite a few of its fellow independent craft breweries to serve from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday. Fellow Redlands breweries Escape Craft Brewery and Ritual Brewing Co., along with Bootlegger’s Brewery, which has a tasting room in Redlands, will be represented. Nearly two dozen breweries from Southern California and beyond also will be pouring. Tasting tickets will be just $1 for a 2-ounce pour.
- Kids zone: Kids can take a spin on some carnival rides, create aviation-themed crafts with folks from Home Depot, or meet first responders and check out their vehicles. The kids zone will be open until 7 p.m. Saturday and all day on Sunday.
More than 20 Hangar 24 beers will be available at the AirFest, including these new brews: Sorbet Gose, a blend of blood orange, raspberry and lactose in a tart gose base; the 10th anniversary Barrel Roll beer; L-39 IPA, a hazy IPA which is part of the new Hangar 24 Formation IPA Series; and Aventura Mexican Lager, Hangar 24’s newest year-round beer.
General admission tickets are $30 for a two-day pass, or $25 for Saturday and $20 for Sunday. Kids 6-12 get in for $5 either day, and active military can enter for $10 either day. Kids 5 and younger get in free. A family four-pack (two adults, two kids) will be available for $40 on Sunday.
There are a couple of ticket options if you wanna get fancy. For $300 on Saturday (or $250 on Sunday), you and five of your closest frenemies can sit at a shaded table along the flight line. General admission is included. VIP tickets, which include VIP parking and a seat in the shaded VIP Chalet, along with free food, beer (including some verrrrrry — their spelling — special Hangar 24 Barrel Roll offerings), and non-alcoholic beverages, are $175 on Saturday, $125 on Sunday and $50 for kids either day.
Advance tickets are available here.
Other things to know:
- Parking is free, however, Uber and Lyft are recommended. Handicapped parking will be available.
- If you’re gonna want to sit, you’re gonna want to bring your own chair, blanket or towel.
- Leave the pets at home. Service dogs will be the only animals allowed in.
- Unopened bottles of water are allowed, however, open bottles of water, along with outside food and drink, are not. Also, leave the coolers at home.
- Leave the bikes, scooters, skateboards, Segways, stilts and hoverboards at home. Comfortable walking shoes are the preferred mode of transportation.
- It should go without saying, but no firearms or drones.
- Food will be available from more than two dozen vendors.
- The Redlands taproom will be open during the AirFest.
Proceeds will benefit the brewery’s Hangar 24 Charities. This year’s recipients include Children of War Foundation, 88bikes, Hunger Walk for Family Service Association of Redlands, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of the Inland Empire, Citrus Valley High School athletics, Boy Scout Troup 44, Redlands East Valley High School cheerleading and Ronald McDonald House.
Here’s a look at the schedule:
Saturday
- Noon: Gates Open, Invitational Beer Festival Opens, Kids Zone opens, No Surrender on stage
- 1:30 p.m.: Electric Ash on stage
- 2:50 p.m.: Opening ceremonies with U.S. and Canada national anthems, USAF T-38 flyover, Boeing C-17 Globemaster III flyover
- 3:15 p.m.: Jon Melby’s Hangar 24 Muscle Bi-Plane
- 3:25 p.m.: Kent Pietch’s 1942 Interstate Cadet, F-15 Eagle flyover
- 3:35 p.m.: Red Eagles Formation Team
- 3:55 p.m.: Tony Higa’s Pitts S-1
- 4:05 p.m.: Warbird Parade, Planes of Fame Air Museum
- 4:20 p.m.: F-18 flyover from The Red Devils Marine Fighter Attack Squadron
- 4:25 p.m.: Vicky Benzing’s 1940 Boeing Stearman
- 5:05 p.m.: Jet Car vs 1944 SNJ-5
- 5:20 p.m.: Aaron Fitzgerald’s Red Bull Aerobatic Helicopter
- 5:30 p.m.: U.S. Air Force F-16 Viper Demo Team
- 5:55 p.m.: Red Eagles Formation Team
- 6:10 p.m.: Warbird Parade, Planes of Fame Air Museum
- 6:25 p.m.: Kent Pietsch 1942 Interstate Cadet
- 6:35 p.m.: Jon Melby Hangar 24 Muscle Bi-Plane
- 6:45 p.m.: Jet Car vs. Hangar 24 Muscle Bi-Plane
- 7 p.m.: Fooz Fighters on stage
- 7:50 p.m.: Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 Hornet Demo Team in a twilight show
- 8:10 p.m.: Fooz Fighters return to the stage
- 9 p.m.: Last pour at beer trucks
- 10 p.m.: Gates close
Sunday
- 11 a.m.: Gates open; F-15 Eagle flyover
- 11:20 a.m.: Opening ceremonies with U.S. and Canada national anthems, USAF T-38 flyover, Boeing C-17 Globemaster III flyover
- 11:35 a.m.: Jon Melby, Hangar 24 Muscle Bi-Plane
- 11:45 a.m.: Kent Pietsch 1942 Interstate Cadet
- Noon: Wheeland Brothers on stage
- 12:05 p.m.: John Collver 1944 SNJ-5 Texan
- 12:15 p.m.: U.S. Air Force C-17 flyover
- 12:25 p.m.: Red Eagles Formation Team
- 1:10 p.m.: Tony Higa, Pitts S-1
- 1:25 p.m.: Greg Colyer T-33 Shooting Star
- 1:40 p.m.: Vicky Benzing 1940 Boeing Stearman
- 1:50 p.m.: U.S. Air Force F-16 Viper Demo Team
- 2 p.m.: Aaron Fitzgerald Red Bull Aerobatic Helicopter
- 2:10 p.m.: Warbird Parade, Plane of Fame Air Museum
- 2:25 p.m.: Jon Melby Hangar 24 Muscle Bi-Plane
- 2:35 p.m.: Jet Car vs. Hangar 24 Muscle Bi-Plane
- 2:40 p.m.: 40 oz. to Freedom take stage, John Collver 1944 SNJ-5 Texan
- 2:50 p.m.: Kent Pietsch 1942 Interstate Cadet
- 3 p.m.: Red Eagles Formation Team
- 3:20 p.m.: U.S. Air Force Viper Demo Team
- 3:45 p.m.: 40 oz. to Freedom take stage
- 4 p.m.: Last pour at beer stations
- 5 p.m.: Gates close
For even more details, visit www.hangar24airfest.com.