Festival of Flight drew in people of all ages and backgrounds for a chance to have a good time and learn about aviation.
Wright State University (WSU) and the City of Fairborn kicked off their very first Festival of Flight on Saturday, Oct. 5.
“I think this is a great start to a tradition that we can keep going on for a really long time because it has an opportunity for us to support the community and the community to support us, learn about us, learn about aviation, which is the whole tradition of our campus,” said Courtney Mullins, program manager for student organizations at WSU.
From little kids to college students to grandparents, there was something for everyone at the festival.
“Mostly we’ve just been looking around collecting free stuff and going all over the place. We’ve practically explored the whole place now. Now we’re just having fun on the bounce houses,” said Bix, 10-year-old attendee.
Although there were bounce houses, a few people expressed the need for a larger kid zone in years to come.
“I think we could amplify the kids zone a little bit, maybe some face painting or some craft that they could make,” said Mollins. “I think there’s a great opportunity for the adults to enjoy a beverage and some music, but I think the number one thing would be a bigger kid zone area.”
Others enjoyed the sports games available to the public on Saturday.
“They introduced this team made up of all veterans who are amputees,” said Pat Kraus, who attended the festival to listen to her son-in-law play in one of the bands. “They were amazing as they were introduced and walked up onto the stage.”
According to Bobby, a local attending the festival, the best part wasn’t the activities or even the food, it was the people he met while he was there. He even had the chance to pray with some of the veterans at the festival.
“There’s just a lot of love,” said Bobby.
Since this was the very first Festival of Flight, many attendees have high hopes and suggestions for years to come.
“It was one of the better-organized outside events like this we have attended in a while,” said Kraus. “All in all, we thought it was great and hope Wright State will do it again.”
