By Chris Edwards
[email protected]
WOODVILLE – Tyler County residents, and visitors, are in for a real treat on Saturday, Sept. 21, as the Chamber of Commerce hosts an event it is billing as an “unforgettable experience.”
The Chamber’s Fly-In and Food Truck Festival is an event that, in the words of Chamber president Cathy Bennett, will not only allow for a variety of family friendly fun, but will also showcase the county’s airport, and give attention to improvements being made to the facility, as well as future improvements. The event kicks off at 8 a.m. and will last until 5 p.m. that day.
Some of the final details to the event’s offerings are still being finalized and there are still sponsorship opportunities available for businesses, organizations and individuals.
Those sponsorships, according to Bennett, range from basic level sponsoring for $100, which allows the sponsor to have their name and/or logo posted to an 18”x24” yard sign, to diamond-level and super sponsorships.
For those who might be wondering what a “fly-in” constitutes, fly-ins at an airport, which are also called aviation meets, are gatherings for pilots, passengers and the general public to, respectively, show off their aircrafts and enjoy a slice of aviation culture in a relaxed, recreational setting.
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.
Along with a showcasing of flying machines, a fleet of four-wheeled kitchens on wheels will be on hand to provide a sampling of a variety of cuisines to attendees, and according to the Chamber, some of the food trucks already signed up include everything from a mobile Asian grill to barbecue to a coffee and smoothie food truck.
Although the full complement of food trucks are booked up for the event, the Chamber is still accepting applications for craft vendors, as it recently opened the event up to include them. The fee for craft vendors is $30 for a 10’x10’ outdoor self-tented space for the day, and the application can be filled out on the Chamber’s website at tylercountycoc.com, until Sept. 6.
One of the groups involved in the event is the Commemorative Air Force’s (CAF) Gulf Coast Wing, which is headquartered in Conroe.
According to Nancy Kwiecien with the CAF, the group will have its Navy JRB-6 1947 Beechcraft model D185 and a Navy SNJ-5 Advanced Trainer on display. The latter plane, which is of a 1943 vintage, was nicknamed “Pilot Maker,” as thousands of new pilots trained for war in this single-engine aircraft.
One of the sponsorship packages even includes a passenger flight aboard the Navy JRB. During World War II, that type of plane was used to train about 90% of the US Army Air Force bombardiers and navigators, and about 250 of them remain airworthy today, according to Kwiecien.
Kwiecien said that although spaces are limited, anyone interested can obtain a pre-sale ticket on one of the flights, starting at $150, from the CAF Gulf Coast Wing’s website at: https://gulfcoastwing.org.
Bennett encouraged anyone interested in helping sponsor the event to check out the information as to sponsor opportunities on the Chamber website, or to call 409-283-2632. Checks can be mailed to the Tyler County Chamber of Commerce, at PO Box 428, Woodville, TX 75979, or dropped off at the Chamber office, located at 717 West Bluff Street in Woodville.
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