Great Alaska Aviation Gathering returning to Palmer

PALMER — The 2024 Great Alaska Aviation Gathering is set to return to the Alaska State Fairgrounds and the Palmer Municipal Airport Saturday, May 4 and Sunday, May 5.

The Great Alaska Aviation Gathering is hosted by the Alaska Airmen’s Association, and it’s typically held during the first weekend of May. This annual gathering is designed to serve as an opportunity to celebrate aviation as a whole and help pilots plan for the upcoming flying season. According to the Alaska Airmen Association’s website, this event is regarded as the largest free aviation gathering in the country.

Alaska Airmen Association Executive Director Abby Austin said they invest a lot of time and energy in planning the Aviation Gathering and they’re looking forward to the chance to celebrate with the community once again.

“We can't wait. We live for this moment," Austin said.

The Great Alaska Aviation Gathering will feature a variety of activities, displays, fly-in demonstrations, seminars, workshops and vendors.

According to Austin, this year’s event will have nearly 200 participating vendors from around the world. A majority of the vendors are aviation-related with numerous community vendors selling things like food, jewelry and clothing.

“It's a big event," Austin said.

The 2024 event will feature several new additions like the Airport After Party which includes a beer garden and a live concert by The Hope Social Club.

The Aviation Gathering is also an opportunity for the Alaska Airmen’s Association to present the yearly scholarship recipients. According to Austin, they are awarding $161,000 in scholarships to people of all ages who are interested in pursuing careers in aviation. She noted this year’s amount is setting an all-time record.

“It's amazing," Austin said. “We’ve put so much energy into growing that program and we’re really proud of it "

This is the fourth time the Aviation Gathering has been held at the Fairgrounds. It was formally held at the Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage in Anchorage. There was no 2020 event due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, and the 2021 event was moved to the Fairgrounds in 2021 to accommodate social distancing measures with the Fair’s large open space. According to the Alaska Airmen’s Association’s official website, holding the event at the Fairgrounds made for a prosperous event and drew a large number of requests from the public to return to the Valley in 2022. The event has continued to come back to the Fairgrounds ever since.

Austin said that the fairgrounds is an ideal venue for this event.

“We are so happy there. It just allows for so much more action,” Austin said.

Austin expressed appreciation for the support from ASF, the city of Palmer, and major sponsors such as Cruz Construction and New Horizons Telecom for helping make this event possible.

“It's been really amazing," Austin said.

The Alaska Airmen's Association will be providing free shuttle services during the event.

For more information, visit alaskaairmen.org/greatgathering.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com