Cleared for takeoff: Airshow London, Western Fair set to soar this weekend
After two years impacted by COVID-19, this weekend will mark the return of the Western Fair, cancelled twice amid the pandemic, and Airshow London to the city.
Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page.
Article content
Aircraft in the skies, roller-coasters on the ground. After two years impacted by COVID-19, this weekend will mark the return of the Western Fair, cancelled twice amid the pandemic, and Airshow London to the city. Thousands of people are expected to attend both events in what is sure to be a fun-packed weekend the likes of which the city has been missing for a while. Here’s everything to know about two of the most iconic fall events held in the Forest City.
WHAT’S NEW
The return of the Western Fair as a full in-person event, after COVID-19 forced its cancellation in both 2020 and 2021, is, on its own, a big deal for the city. But that didn’t stop organizers of the event, first held in 1868, from putting together a new experience for fair-goers. The biggest change for this year’s event will be the use of a new layout that will see the fair and its approximately 75 midway rides moved to the south side of Florence Street, near the Agriplex and sports complex. Patrons also will be able to enjoy live music throughout the 10-day event at a concert stage and the new OEV music garden. “The new layout is really the major change this year, everything moving to the other side of the road,” said Greg Blanchard, the fair’s director of sales and retail operations.
For its part, Airshow London will host a hybrid model that will combine a drive-in format born out of COVID-19 restrictions and the return of a static aircraft display featuring more than 20 planes that aviation enthusiasts will be able to explore up close while chatting with the crews. “We’re really pumped to be able to reintroduce that and being able to add that extra value for our patrons,” said Jim Graham, the show’s chairperson. This year’s event also will include some fan favourites, such as the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds team, and attractions such as a Second World War Boeing B-17. “Our lineup is probably more exciting than anything we’ve seen since the airshow came back.”
CROWDS
Organizers of Airshow London estimate the three-day event will attract approximately 3,000 vehicles a day and 30,000 people overall, many of those from out of town. Tickets for all three shows already are sold out. That’s above the usual attendance of about 20,000 the event had before the start of the pandemic. This year’s response may lead organizers to consider new ways to increase capacity for future shows, Graham said. “This year we filled just about every nook and cranny we could of the London International Airport,” he said. “We are trying to grow the show, and we’re looking at all kinds of different business models for future years.”
For their part, the Western Fair would average crowds between 150,000 and 200,000 people before COVID-19. Hitting similar numbers would be “tremendous,” Blanchard said, though there’s hope the return of the event after a two-year pause may bring even larger crowds. “Based on what we’re seeing around North America, as other fairs have returned, numbers have been strong and our advanced ticket sales have been strong as well, so it seems like there’s a real appetite from Londoners for the return of the fair.”
COVID-19
Though the speed at which the coronavirus is spreading has slowed to allow the return of more conventional activities, both the Western Fair and the Airshow London will continue to encourage visitors to take precautions to enjoy the events safely.
“We’re certainly encouraging anyone who wants to take COVID measures to do so,” Graham said. “This is an outdoor event, but if people don’t want to leave their parking spots or if they want to wear a mask, we support that completely. We feel our patrons can be as responsible as they want to be and we will certainly respect that.”
Blanchard echoed similar opinions, adding the fair will increase the number of sanitation stations throughout the property. “We’re confident, from what we’ve seen, that we’ll be able to put on a very safe and fun fair this year,” he said.
TSSA STRIKE
Safety inspectors with the Technical Standards and Safety Authority have been on strike since July as contract negotiations broke down with the provincial agency that inspects, among several pieces of equipment, amusement park rides. The strike, however, has not impacted preparations for the fair, Blanchard said, noting the TSSA, as it did during the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto, is using third-party companies and managers to complete inspections. “We heard there were no issues at the CNE and we don’t anticipate any here either, and we also have our third-party inspector here on site during the 10 days,” he said.
IF YOU GO
Western Fair
When: Friday, Sept. 9 – Sunday, Sept. 18 (Monday-Friday, 3-10 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.)
Where: Western Fair District, 845 Florence St.
Admission: $15 at the gate, free for adults 70+ and children younger than 10. Free parking.
Visit the website westernfair.ca for tickets and other information, including attractions, events and maps.
Airshow London
When: Friday, Sept. 9 (3 p.m.-8:30 p.m. – no entry after 7); Sat., Sept. 10 and Sunday, Sept. 11 (10 a.m.-5 p.m. – no entry after 3 p.m.)
Where: London International Airport, 10 Seabrook Way
Admission: The event is sold out
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.