ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
There are many events that have come and gone throughout Liberal’s time, and later this year, one particularly popular event will be making a comeback.
The Liberal AirFair will officially be coming back this fall, and AirFair Committee Chair Blake Prosser said discussions about bringing the event back have been going on for a while.
“This is something that was started in 2010 and was a bi-annual event until 2018, and then the COVID-19 pandemic happened and put the kibosh on anything happening in 2020, and it wasn't until recently when those more serious efforts started in terms of bringing the AirFair back,” Prosser said. “I wasn't actually on the committee when those very first conversations began, but I know the committee got started around June or July to begin the initial planning, and then I actually joined the committee in October. We just felt it was time to bring it back, everyone's really, really excited about it, and most of our committee members are either in the aviation industry or aviation buffs, so they want to see this event come back. Really, we're just excited to be bringing this event back, and I expect we'll have a big turnout from the community since we've heard so much excitement already. We're starting at a really good place and with really strong momentum, and the first thing we started on was booking the performers. We have a great lineup in store, and they're all nationally recognized acts.”
Prosser said the planning conversations have been very deep so far for the event’s return.
“I know everyone was feeling the pulse and getting a general idea of what would work for this time around. Six years is a lot of time, and there are a lot of new performers and a lot of new acts that have gotten started,” Prosser said. “We're bringing back Matt Younkin, he flies his Beech 18, and he's going to do a daytime routine and a nighttime routine, both of which should be really neat. We wanted to bring him back, and when we found out he'd be available, we jumped on that chance. We know a lot of people also like the jet cars and jet trucks, so we're going to be bringing one of them in. The last act we brought in with that, Shockwave, unfortunately suffered a loss with their lead driver in 2022, so we couldn't invite them back. That act is coming to us through SRC Airshows, and they have a package deal where they'll bring the jet car in and a fellow pilot, Steven Covington, and they'll be racing each other. Steven will also be performing his own routine while the jet car is rocketing down the runway, and then they'll race near the end.”
And while there has been a lot of work completed so far in making sure the AirFair makes a successful comeback, Prosser said there is still plenty of work to be done in the coming months.
“At the beginning, the main priority was to book the acts, and we did that. There's a convention every year where all the air performers gather and get booked for shows, and out goal was to book our acts before that convention, which we were able to do,” Prosser said. “Right now, we're getting into the nuts and bolts of everything as far as security, fencing, traffic control, all of those logistical details. We're also working on coordinating with Food Truck Saturdays and talking to them about having that out at the AirFair that day, and it'll be a great way to bring people not just to the AirFair, but all those awesome food trucks as well. This year's AirFair is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 4, and we're going to have a day show, which will be from around 2 to 4 p.m., and then a night show that will start after sunset, which most of the performers will take part in. Like past AirFair events, there'll be a children's area with games and bounce houses and all of that, and we're talking about maybe bringing in a couple local bands to play that day. We're thinking about doing another couple fundraisers in the coming months. We did have the poker tournament late last year, which went really well for us and helped us out a lot, and we had a lot of businesses donate prizes and money and things like that. We're talking about maybe hosting a golf tournament or some other similar events, but again, all of that is still under discussions. We want the AirFair to be free to the public, so we're going to be pounding the pavement and talking to a bunch of individuals and businesses about being sponsors and taking donations. Not everything has been set in stone, but there are definitely some possibilities we're talking about in that regard. There are still quite a few pieces needing to be put together at the moment, but everything is coming together, and we're all really excited.”
Overall, Prosser said, the return of the AirFair should be a good time for the community.
“There's a lot of general excitement about the fact the AirFair is coming back, among the committee and the community. It's time to get this going again, and everyone's really looking forward to seeing it happen. If any individual or business wants to be a sponsor or help in any way, they would just need to contact me at (901) 356-1002 or send an email to
