If you've driven past Pryor Field in the last few weeks and noticed the ramp filling up with warbirds, that's not your imagination — the North Alabama Airfest is back for its second year, and this one's bigger. September 12–13, 2026, up the road in Tanner.

Last year's show pulled in more than 12,500 visitors from 35+ states and three countries, put 15 aerial performers in the air, and generated an estimated $3.2 million in economic impact for the region. This year adds something last year didn't have: a full evening program, capped off with Alabama's first-ever night airshow performance and a drone display.

Here's what's confirmed so far, and why we think it's worth a Saturday even if you've never touched a yoke.

The basics: dates, gates, and location

For current pricing, ticket options, and the latest schedule, head to the official event site: northalairfest.com. Airshow lineups can shift with weather or maintenance right up to showtime, so it's the best place to double-check before you go.

What's new this year: the night show

The big addition for 2026 is evening programming on Saturday. Where last year wrapped in the afternoon, this year's show runs gates-open until 10 PM, closing out with Alabama's first-ever night airshow performance paired with a drone display lighting up the sky over the airfield. Exact acts for the night program hadn't been finalized as of this writing — check the official site closer to the date for the full evening lineup.

Who's flying

Confirmed acts include Warbird Thunder Airshows, flying a pair of SNJ Texans, and Mini Jet Airshows, alongside a growing list of other aerial performers. Expect the usual airshow staples too — military demonstration flybys, high-speed passes, and static aircraft on display you can walk right up to. As with any airshow, the performer list and running order can change due to weather or mechanical issues, so treat any lineup — including this one — as subject to change until the gates open.

Beyond the flight line

Airfest isn't just something you watch — it's something you walk around in. Past years have featured:

Plan on spending the whole day if you're bringing family — between static displays, vendors, and the flying, it fills a schedule fast.

Why this matters if you've ever thought about flying

Here's the thing about an airshow: everybody there already knows they like airplanes. The only question is what they do with that.

Every warbird on that ramp is airworthy because someone — an A&P mechanic — kept it that way. Every performer in the air started with a first flight lesson, same as anyone else.

If watching a formation pass overhead makes you think "I'd like to try that," you don't need a warbird or an airshow pilot's logbook to start. You need a discovery flight.

We fly Part 61 out of Hartselle–Morgan County Regional Airport, a short drive from the Airfest grounds — no forced timeline, no packaged curriculum, just training built around your actual schedule. If the show gets you looking up on the drive home, that's usually the moment to book the first lesson instead of letting it become "one day."