The skies will come alive this weekend at the Williston Basin International Airport as performers show off their skills and aircrafts for the third annual Williston Airshow.
For this family affair, breakfast, aircraft rides, displays, world-renowned air show performances and pyrotechnics can all be seen at XWA on Saturday.
The morning will kick off at 7 a.m. with a fly-in pancake breakfast provided by the Lions Club. The public is welcome to join as long as supplies last and stick around to visit the displays, including a military helicopter, and tour a restored B-25. Aircraft rides are available from Overland Aviation for $30 per person.
“Performers will be available for families to come chat with them and look at their aircraft that they will be performing in later that day,” said Airport Director Anthony Dudas. “Other vendors will be around the grounds as well for families to hopefully stay very well entertained while awaiting the airshow to kick off.”
At 11 a.m., Miss. North Dakota, Sydney Helgeson, will sing the national anthem and the performances will commence. This year’s headliner is three separate performers in one act called the Tinstix of Dynamite. Melissa Burns, Skip Steward and a hot streak jet truck (a jet powered 57 Chevy truck) perform together accompanied by a display of pyrotechnics.
Other acts will include a comedic performance by Kent Pietsch and his Jelly Belly aircrafts that land on moving vehicles and University of North Dakota’s assistant professor of aviation Michael Lents who will show some of what students learn in the UND aviation program. The Misty Blues skydiving team will show off their parachuting talents.
The pancake breakfast will go from 7-9 a.m., with the airshow running from 11-2 p.m. Purchasing tickets online will provide a discount and save time at the doors, as over 4000 people are expected to attend.
“We strongly encourage people to buy (tickets) ahead of time. They are about $5 more the day of,” Dudas said. “It will streamline their entry at the door.”
When purchased online, tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors 65+, $10 for youth ages 13-17 and kids 12 and under are free. A family rate of $35 can be purchased that includes two adults and two youth tickets. Tickets can be found online at flywilliston.net/airshow
The public can watch the show from the private aviation side of the airfield where Overland Aviation is housed. There will be signage for people to follow for parking and entrance.
“All of the performances are going to be amazing,” assured Dudas.
