HEROES DAY at the Air Zoo

Celebrate our community’s finest on HEROES DAY at the Air Zoo – Saturday, September 26!

Guests are encouraged to dress up like their favorite hero or superhero and visit the Air Zoo for a full day of spectacular Hero themed activities, displays, and family fun! Meet and interact with REAL heroes of all types! Be one of the first to experience the Air Zoo s NEW, 3-D cutting-edge, full motion flight simulators! The day culminates in a picnic on the Air Zoo s front lawn and a Welcome Home parade for an amazing group of World War II veterans returning from an honor flight to Washington D.C.

Indoor activities are FREE with your paid Air Zoo admission, all outdoor activities are FREE to the general public!

This exciting day will include:

Spectacular science shows and hands-on experiences throughout the day in the Air Zoo’s main exhibit hall.
Fun games and activities outdoors on the Air Zoo’s lawn including life-size chess, bean-bag toss, hula hoops, and more!
A FREE “Touch a Truck” outdoor display of the Mighty Machines used by everyday heroes.
A parade honoring World War II veterans returning from an Honor Flight to Washington D.C.
Much, much, more! See schedule below for more details.

Schedule:

INDOOR
9:00 am ” 7:00 pm
Come dressed as your favorite hero and shake hands with our local heroes at the Air Zoo!

Educational activities throughout the day:

Hero Mask Making, Dress-up Like a Hero, and hero-themed Photo booths
Paper airplane demos and competition- Win great prizes including Air Zoo memberships!
Hero Mural ” Make an artistic contribution to our Heroes Mural
Meet real-life heroes including a Tuskegee Airman, a ER Trauma Surgeon, Crime Scene Investigators, and MORE!
A variety of awesome hands-on science programs and activities, including Super science of Superheroes & Super Villains!
Life-size Aircraft Carrier Launch simulation with guest participation

OUTDOOR:
9:30 am – 12:30 pm
Control-line Airplane Competition (Smoke Rings Organization). Experience the thrills of control-line model airplanes!

11:00 am – 5:00 pm
“Touch a Truck” Get up close to many of the Mighty Machines our heroes use, including fire trucks, tractors, SWAT vehicles, Tractors, Crime Scene Investigation vehicles, and much more!

5:00 pm ” 8:00 pm
Family Picnic on the Air Zoo lawn. Bring your own meal or purchase onsite.

Staged Performances:

Paul Bauer of Crescendo Music Academy ” drummer (children s music)
Whiskey Before Breakfast (Traditional Irish Music)
DJ Matt Ervin
More artists to be announced!

Yard games and activities

Hula hoops ” Air Zoo
Life-sized Chess
Faux Fishing
And much more!

The Air Zoo is staying open until 7pm, but there will be even more fun outside. From 11:00am ” 5:00pm, visitors of all ages will the opportunity to get up close to many of the mighty machines used by our everyday heroes. With vehicles ranging from fire trucks to construction equipment (and everything in between), this awesome display is sure to thrill young and old alike.

In the evening from 5-8pm, join us on the front lawn for a family picnic. Bring your own basket or purchase a picnic dinner from A/V Catering. Participate in family-friendly lawn games provided by the City of Kalamazoo Department of Parks & Recreation and Portage Parks, Recreation and Senior Services. Enjoy exciting live entertainment by area artists.

Our HEROES DAY culminates with the return of WWII veterans from the Talons Out Honor Flight to the WWII Memorial in Washington, D.C. Preceded by an impressive cavalcade of rescue vehicles, sirens, motorcycles and other cool vehicles to announce their arrival (after 8pm), our veterans will parade around the Air Zoo where all the community is invited to cheer them in and welcome them home.

Join us for the thrilling day of celebrating and supporting the brave individuals we call HEROES!

All indoor activities are FREE with your paid Air Zoo admission, outdoor activities are FREE to the general public!

For questions, contact the Air Zoo’s Events Department via email at events@airzoo.org, or via phone at 269.350.2848.