There's a FREE air show happening in the Lower Mainland next week (PHOTOS)

The Fraser Valley is a popular destination for visitors all year round, with plenty of fun activities to check out in the region. And now a long-running free air show is returning to the skies to delight visitors from all over.

The 29th Chilliwack Flight Fest Airshow is happening on Sunday, August 20, at the Chilliwack Airport, and it will be filled with fun activities and events for the whole family.

Chilliwack Airshow – Flight Fest/Facebook

The volunteer-run event was first held in 1992 and quickly became a popular affair for the community to enjoy.

Visitors to Chilliwack Flight Fest Airshow can check out ground displays and community booths at the airport. There will also be a kid’s zone for the budding pilots to explore.

The main event is, of course, the exciting air show, with a variety of planes taking to the sky.

Mike Tryggvason/Facebook

Featured performers include Mike Tryggvason, a Canadian competition aerobatic and air show pilot with more than 5,000 hours of total flight time.

Ross Granley, who received his wings in 1987, has flown with the Snowbird and was selected as a team member for Canada’s participation in the William Tell air combat competition, will also be at Flight Fest.

Granley Airshows/Facebook

John & Richard Mrazek will also take to the Chilliwack skies in their respective Harvard Mark IV, Pussycat II, and Yakovlev 18T. The acclaimed father-son aerobatic air show duo also has unrestricted surface-level waivers.

David and Drew Watson are bringing the Yellow Thunder to the party, entertaining the crowd with their two-plane, altitude-unrestricted formation aerobatic demonstration team.

And it wouldn’t be a festival without a number of food trucks and vendors ready to serve you when hunger strikes.

John and Richard Mrazek (Chilliwack Airshow – Flight Fest/Facebook)

To help you get into the Flight Fest feeling, the annual Hangar Dance is taking place on Saturday, August 19. The 19+ fully-licensed event will include a live performance by The Vacationers and DJ Wayne West, food and drinks, networking, and a “teaser air show.”

The Vacationers (Chilliwack Airshow – Flight Fest/Facebook)

Chilliwack Flight Fest is one of the only free air shows left in North America, and volunteers can still sign up to help out in the lead-up to the event and throughout the weekend.

Chilliwack Flight Fest Hangar Dance

When: August 19, 2023
Time: 7 pm to 12 am
Where: Chilliwack Airport – 46206 Airport Road, Chilliwack
Admission: $20 plus fees in advance, purchase online

Chilliwack Flight Fest Airshow

When: August 20, 2023
Time: 11 am to 4 pm
Where: Chilliwack Airport – 46206 Airport Road, Chilliwack
Admission: Free