Every year for the past few years, our family has gone to the annual Discover Aviation Days event at the Anoka County airport in Blaine, which has always been the first weekend in June. It’s become a tradition for us that we look forward to each spring!
And what’s best? IT’S FREE!
They do ask for a parking donation, and we give a few dollars every year. And there are some fee-based activities including aircraft and helicopter rides, but there are many hours worth of fun, free activities for the whole family that you don’t want to miss!
Some of what you can expect:
- Vendors & Exhibitors
- Pancake Breakfast and Hamburger/Grilled Pork Lunch (in previous years it costs $5-8 for a meal depending on whether child or adult size, but the food is good and you can eat indoors)
- Kids activities galore including bouncy houses
- Golden Wings Museum open for viewing its historic collection (check out the unique aircraft that have been built throughout history!)
- Military history (meet veterans, see military displays and reinactors)
- Education Center for students
- Car Show
There is also a Hangar Dance on Saturday evening – adults are $12, teens $8, and kids 12 and under are free. We haven’t gone to this before but it sounds like a fun step back in time.
As you can see in the pictures here that I took at last year’s event, it was rainy when we went, but we still had a great time. Hopefully the weather will be nicer this year though.
Visit the DiscoverAviationDays.org website for more information!
As a swing dancer I go to the hanger dance, and its a BLAST! This is concidered one of the best dances of the year! Huge ‘big band’ with great music! Hundreds of dancers. Food and beverage are for sale as well. You will see dancers of all levels doing all types of dancing! Swing of course, but their is also usually a variety of ballrom, and latin dances mixed in as well. And believe me it is well worth the $12!! They have contests for best era uniform, and dress too, with a grand march! So you will see many people dressed to the nines in vintage 40s clothes. If you’ve never been to a hanger dance it is a must do. Even if you don’t dance, it is worth experiencing.
Thanks so much for sharing, Tryphena! It sounds like so much fun!