WOODVILLE – Plans are underway for the coming Fall Fly-In and Food Truck Festival, which is scheduled for Saturday, April 18 at the Tyler County Airport.
The event had to be postponed from its initial date last October, due to inclement weather. The Tyler County Chamber of Commerce is hosting the event, and according to the Chamber’s president Cathy Bennett, keeping the event going was a logical win-win for Tyler County, following the “phenomenal success of our inaugural 2024 festival,” which drew more than 2,000 enthusiastic attendees, according to Bennett.
“Some traveled from Central Texas, Houston and several neighboring counties. We can’t wait to bring everyone together once more,” Bennett said.
Bennett noted that the event would not have been possible without the “amazing” sponsors who contributed,
Like the first Fly-In the Chamber hosted, this one will also feature a range of food trucks, with a variety of fare to satisfy all manner of culinary desires, from Cajun food and barbecue to specialty coffees, tacos and more.
The event, which will start at 8 a.m. and lasts until 4 p.m., will feature aviators showing off their planes, skydiving and other aviation-related fun for the public.
Fly-ins are different from airshows in that they are not competitive events without air displays. Fly-ins also typically carry the air of a group of friends meeting to socialize, sometimes over a barbecue. This is where the food truck aspect comes into play.
The event is free for anyone to attend, with only a $5 fee for parking, per car. Among the offerings available, there will be tethered hot air balloon rides in the morning for $25. Also, rides are available on one of the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) JRB (Twin Beech) planes through the organization’s website, gulfcoastwing.org.
Bennett added that the success of the first Fly-In event was “thanks to a real team effort.”
Alongside the nearly 70 sponsors, which contributed to funding all aspects of producing the event, Bennett said the support of the community was valuable beyond any measure.
