Wings & Wheels fall fest to return to Georgetown Oct. 31
All systems are go for Wings & Wheels 2009, a Georgetown fall festival from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 31, at the Sussex County Airport in Georgetown.
The Greater Georgetown Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Delaware Aviation Museum, Lower Delaware Mustang Club and Southern Delaware Tourism, is hosting this “fly in” of vintage planes and jets and a huge classic car show.
Wings & Wheels debuted last year and according to Karen Duffield, executive director of the Georgetown chamber, despite disastrous weather conditions, attendance was very strong for a first-time festival, and reaction was extremely positive. “We expect that the 2009 event will be even bigger and better than last year,” Duffield said. “And we have [Sunday] Nov. 1 secured as a rain date in the event Mother Nature makes a repeat performance of last year.”
Larry Kelley, fly-in operations chief and pilot, is reporting that a Yak-9 World War II Russian fighter, F4U Corsair, L-39 jet, AT-6 Texan, L-16, PT-26, Yak-52, CJ-6 and PT-17, as well as many other classic and vintage aircraft, light sport and ultralight aircraft have been invited to fly in. Confirmations are almost impossible to make due to the unpredictability of the weather, but if conditions are favorable, Duffield expects that there will be a fantastic display of aircraft.
Rides for purchase are available on select planes by individual reservation and are listed on wings-wheels.com. World War II re-enactors are scheduled to set up encampments at the airport, with memorabilia from this historic war period to complement the many World War II vintage airplanes to be displayed.
The Lower Delaware Mustang Club is organizing the “wheels” part of the festival with a car show that is expected to register hundreds of classic roadsters and award-winning models. Registration is from 8 a.m. to noon, and dash plaques will be distributed to the first 100 cars. Cost to register is $12. In all, 50 trophies will be presented at the awards ceremony at 3 p.m., including best in show.
Some 40 or more craft and food vendors from all over Delmarva are setting up and hoping to sell out, along with community and nonprofit groups that are distributing free materials. Carnival games, face painting, sack races and more will also be available for the kids to enjoy.
CAT Country radio station gets the all-day entertainment off to a flying start from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with a live broadcast from the airport and will offer giveaways, games and prizes to kids of all ages. Moonbeam Entertainment takes over until 3 p.m. with a variety of musical offerings, including karaoke. The popular Team Trivia Delmarva DJ will finish up the day from 3 to 6 p.m. with more music and even some wings and wheels–related trivia contests.
New to this year’s event, which happens to fall on Halloween, are a costume contest and a carved or decorated pumpkin contest sponsored by Chardon Ltd. Jewelers of Georgetown. Prizes will be awarded in both contests to the funniest, scariest, most original and best themed (having to do with planes or cars.) Judging for the pumpkin contest will take place at 2:30 p.m., and the costume judging will be at 3 p.m. For more information of these contests, call Chardon Jewelers at 856-7202.
Event sponsors include Walmart, Sussex County Council, Perdue Farms, Tyndall’s Construction, Delmarva Power, A.P. Croll & Son, Fisher Auto Parts, The Insurance Market, Lighthouse Landing, Delaware National Bank, Sussex Post, CAT Country and Waste Management. Admission and parking are free; however, there will be preferred parking available this year for $1 per car.
For more information and directions to the festival, visit wings-wheels.com or call the Georgetown chamber at 302-856-1544.
