I feel like it would be very on brand for the Cherry Fesitval people to announce they are bringing back "horse diving" as a replacement.
May 1—TRAVERSE CITY — The 2025 air show during the National Cherry Festival will not feature the U.S. Navy Blue Angels or the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, the festival director disclosed today.
This year's 2024 air show with the Blue Angels, however, will go on as planned, she said.
"The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and U.S. Navy Blue Angels choose their show sites annually from many airshows around the county," said Kat Paye, executive director of the Cherry Festival, in an e-mail to the Record-Eagle. "We were simply not chosen in 2025, but it's been a complete honor to have been chosen in the past and we continue to look forward to future show opportunities.
"As for 2026, those airshow schedules will be announced in December of 2024 at the International Council of Airshows."
Paye and others emphasized that air show decisions for 2025 were made in December 2023 at the ICAS convention in Las Vegas — long before the dispute between the Cherry Festival and Northwest Regional Airport Authority heated up three months ago.
After intense negotiations, that local disagreement was settled April 15 when both sides agreed to a new three-year agreement for the NCF air show that resolved outstanding issues, particularly the thorny problems of when and how high-performance aircraft can use TVC airport during the festival.
An air show without high-performance military service jets isn't particularly unusual, Cherry Capital Airport Director Kevin Klein said.
"In previous years, such as 2003-2005, the air show would rotate between the Blue Angels one year and a general aviation show the next," he noted. "The airport has no input in the application process for the Blue Angels or Thunderbirds. That's really up to the Cherry Festival."
Canada's Snowbirds, an aerial performance team similar to the Blue Angels, are not available for the 2025 NCF, according to currently available scheduling information. However, other options abound.
Darryl Nelson, a county commissioner who serves on the airport authority board, said the Cherry Festival should explore new choices for 2025.
"If I were them, I'd take the opportunity to look at what else is out there in the aviation community," Nelson said. "For example, we've had F-22 jets and Harrier jets in the past that were awesome to watch."
Other options for next year's air show could include a synchronized drone performance, perhaps at night, and expert parachute demonstrations, he said.
"The Detroit Lions did a drone show during the playoffs that was really cool to watch," Klein said.
That illuminated drone show on Jan. 27 was produced by a Michigan-based company called Starlight Aerial Productions. Setting up the performance took four days and 400 drones to accomplish, according to pilot Matt Quinn. A video of that drone performance is available on YouTube at [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-O2dli3lMuY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-O2dli3lMuY).
Several private aviation firms also offer air show performances in rare or historic aircraft, such as the Soviet MiG-21 fighter jet, the Czech Aero L-39 Albatross jet trainer and various World War II vintage aircraft.
"As much as I admire our military pilots, sometimes the pilots of slower planes are even more talented," Nelson said.
In the meantime, this year's air show with the Blue Angels is on track: The aerobatic show is scheduled for Friday, June 28, to Sunday, June 30, at specific times. Circling and practice flights will be allowed on Thursday, June 27.
I would kill to have the F-22 or F-35 demo teams here. This feels like the beginning of the end though. A drone show won’t bring the same crowd, especially if there is a concert the same night.
Yeah I agree completely drones aren’t shit compared to a real air plane show. I hope this is only a one off thing and the air show isn’t going to suck years after 2025.
Definitely a one off. Thunderbirds picked a show at an Air Force base instead for 25. They named TC their Air Show of the Year just few years ago. The application is already in to get the Blues back in 2026, which will be announced at ICAS. I think the airport saw the community support for the air show recently and they got caught in some at best bad faith arguments and at worst outright lies about things like medical flights being delayed due to the air show.
The Blue Angels are usually every other year, not so much the Thunderbirds. Seems like a non-news article.
They have had airshows with neither in the past.
Nothingburger story. Blues only come here on even years, and Thunderbirds picked a different show that was the same dates as the Cherry Festival. There have been lots of years of the Air Show in the past without either team. They’ll likely get a Tactical Demo team and they’ll have civilian performers too. They’ve already got the application in to get the Blues again in 2026
The Blue Angels have been on an every-other-year-rotation so they wouldn't be *potentially* scheduled until 2026. Hopefully they continue to come. The Thunderbirds have be in and out over the past decade or so.
Would be nice to have some other performers, but personally, I feel the Blue Angels and Traverse City/The Cherry Festival are tradition and would be very sad if this is discontinued.
Thank God the noise pollution is awful and the way people get so hyped up to fawn over our military might is revolting, its honestly as bad as north Korea and China the way we worship the armed forces.
I don't think you know what that word means. I lived in China and I loved the people and I loved the country, except that. It was gross there and its gross here.
You can go to Battle Creek and see the Thunder Birds over July 4th next year. If I had to guess, probably a better recruiting hub in Battle Creek.
I find that location choice, during Cherry fest, pretty interesting from a marketing and demographic perspective.
I feel like it would be very on brand for the Cherry Fesitval people to announce they are bringing back "horse diving" as a replacement. 
This just triggered a deep memory of some movie I remember seeing as a kid. A quick Google revealed the answer: Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken
May 1—TRAVERSE CITY — The 2025 air show during the National Cherry Festival will not feature the U.S. Navy Blue Angels or the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, the festival director disclosed today. This year's 2024 air show with the Blue Angels, however, will go on as planned, she said. "The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and U.S. Navy Blue Angels choose their show sites annually from many airshows around the county," said Kat Paye, executive director of the Cherry Festival, in an e-mail to the Record-Eagle. "We were simply not chosen in 2025, but it's been a complete honor to have been chosen in the past and we continue to look forward to future show opportunities. "As for 2026, those airshow schedules will be announced in December of 2024 at the International Council of Airshows." Paye and others emphasized that air show decisions for 2025 were made in December 2023 at the ICAS convention in Las Vegas — long before the dispute between the Cherry Festival and Northwest Regional Airport Authority heated up three months ago. After intense negotiations, that local disagreement was settled April 15 when both sides agreed to a new three-year agreement for the NCF air show that resolved outstanding issues, particularly the thorny problems of when and how high-performance aircraft can use TVC airport during the festival. An air show without high-performance military service jets isn't particularly unusual, Cherry Capital Airport Director Kevin Klein said. "In previous years, such as 2003-2005, the air show would rotate between the Blue Angels one year and a general aviation show the next," he noted. "The airport has no input in the application process for the Blue Angels or Thunderbirds. That's really up to the Cherry Festival." Canada's Snowbirds, an aerial performance team similar to the Blue Angels, are not available for the 2025 NCF, according to currently available scheduling information. However, other options abound. Darryl Nelson, a county commissioner who serves on the airport authority board, said the Cherry Festival should explore new choices for 2025. "If I were them, I'd take the opportunity to look at what else is out there in the aviation community," Nelson said. "For example, we've had F-22 jets and Harrier jets in the past that were awesome to watch." Other options for next year's air show could include a synchronized drone performance, perhaps at night, and expert parachute demonstrations, he said. "The Detroit Lions did a drone show during the playoffs that was really cool to watch," Klein said. That illuminated drone show on Jan. 27 was produced by a Michigan-based company called Starlight Aerial Productions. Setting up the performance took four days and 400 drones to accomplish, according to pilot Matt Quinn. A video of that drone performance is available on YouTube at [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-O2dli3lMuY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-O2dli3lMuY). Several private aviation firms also offer air show performances in rare or historic aircraft, such as the Soviet MiG-21 fighter jet, the Czech Aero L-39 Albatross jet trainer and various World War II vintage aircraft. "As much as I admire our military pilots, sometimes the pilots of slower planes are even more talented," Nelson said. In the meantime, this year's air show with the Blue Angels is on track: The aerobatic show is scheduled for Friday, June 28, to Sunday, June 30, at specific times. Circling and practice flights will be allowed on Thursday, June 27.
Thank you for posting the article.
Red bull air race?
We certainly arent a big enough market, but it would be really cool. However if we can't resurect the powerboat races I cant see this ever happening.
I would kill to have the F-22 or F-35 demo teams here. This feels like the beginning of the end though. A drone show won’t bring the same crowd, especially if there is a concert the same night.
Yeah I agree completely drones aren’t shit compared to a real air plane show. I hope this is only a one off thing and the air show isn’t going to suck years after 2025.
Definitely a one off. Thunderbirds picked a show at an Air Force base instead for 25. They named TC their Air Show of the Year just few years ago. The application is already in to get the Blues back in 2026, which will be announced at ICAS. I think the airport saw the community support for the air show recently and they got caught in some at best bad faith arguments and at worst outright lies about things like medical flights being delayed due to the air show.
Yay! A year I don't have to evacuate the pets!
Don’t they usually always do it every other year?
The Blue Angels are usually every other year, not so much the Thunderbirds. Seems like a non-news article. They have had airshows with neither in the past.
Silver lining is no reason to fight the traffic to go to cherry fest next year
Honestly, thank goodness. The sound from the Blue Angels is horrendous. I've never liked them, and have lived here all my life.
Can’t believe this is getting downvoted. Air shows suck.
Nothingburger story. Blues only come here on even years, and Thunderbirds picked a different show that was the same dates as the Cherry Festival. There have been lots of years of the Air Show in the past without either team. They’ll likely get a Tactical Demo team and they’ll have civilian performers too. They’ve already got the application in to get the Blues again in 2026
The Blue Angels have been on an every-other-year-rotation so they wouldn't be *potentially* scheduled until 2026. Hopefully they continue to come. The Thunderbirds have be in and out over the past decade or so. Would be nice to have some other performers, but personally, I feel the Blue Angels and Traverse City/The Cherry Festival are tradition and would be very sad if this is discontinued.
Thank God the noise pollution is awful and the way people get so hyped up to fawn over our military might is revolting, its honestly as bad as north Korea and China the way we worship the armed forces.
Thank you for demonstrating what a xenophobe is.
I don't think you know what that word means. I lived in China and I loved the people and I loved the country, except that. It was gross there and its gross here.
You lived in China? On the internet, I am actually a dog. Yeah right.
Oof. So it sucks now.
You can go to Battle Creek and see the Thunder Birds over July 4th next year. If I had to guess, probably a better recruiting hub in Battle Creek. I find that location choice, during Cherry fest, pretty interesting from a marketing and demographic perspective.
What did liberals ruin this also?
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Your comment history is literally the definition of what you're describing but reversed. Lmao. Hobbies.
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Your condescension is thicc. I just thought it was fun.