CARTHAGE, N.C. – (February 24, 2021) – The 2021 Festival D’Avion celebration of freedom and flight staged at the Moore County Airport has been moved from early April to late October 2021 because of continued COVID-19 restrictions, Tarheel Festivals LLC has announced. The new dates for the Festival D’Avion will be October 29-30, 2021.
The third annual Festival D’Avion was on track to be the largest and best to date in the spring of 2020, but the event joined a long list of community activities across the Sandhills, the state of North Carolina and the United States to be postponed due to health precautions. Continued concerns for mass gatherings and timing of a vaccine distribution caused the event date to be postponed until this October.
All Festival D’Avion components, including the Celebration Concert, hospitality functions, Runway 5K race, aircraft exhibits, fly-overs and entertainment will be rescheduled for the October 2021 dates. All event sponsorships will transfer to the new dates, and any Festival D’Avion tickets purchased for the festival in advance or donated to military families will be honored for the new dates. Sponsorship packages and event tickets will remain on sale over the coming months.
“We are very disappointed to have to move our dates for a third time for the Festival D’Avion, but are doing so with guidance from the local and state health officials and from the Pentagon that controls the approval and participation for the military services involved with our event,” said Peter Stilwell, co-founder for the Festival D’Avion. “We are optimistic that outdoor events and festivals will return again in the late summer allowing our event to continue. The continued safety for our Festival patrons, sponsors and volunteers continues to be a priority.”
The members of the Moore County Airport Authority have approved the new dates for late October.
“We basically will go from promoting a really great spring event to a really great one for the fall “ said Phil Werz, president and CEO of the Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area CVB. “We are in complete agreement with the Festival D’Avion staff that moving the event later this year is the best option to maintain a safe environment for the participants and guests. It will allow the opportunity for this unique event to be successful and develop a loyal following. October is a great time of year in the destination and we look forward to welcoming our military friends and aviation enthusiasts from near and far.”
The Festival D’Avion is a celebration of Freedom and Flight and honors the men and women that have served in the armed forces. The 1½ day event, hosted at the Moore County Airport, includes a celebration concert featuring the Ultimate Eagles Tribute Band, Runway 5K race/walk, special aircraft exhibits, scheduled aircraft fly-overs, Warbird displays, precision jump team exhibitions, programmed entertainment and a special scheduled fly-out of all participating aircraft. The five branches of the military have approved participation for the Festival D’Avion and will provide a variety of static aircraft and military equipment displays. Classic cars and trucks will also be displayed during the event. A variety of food and beverage options will be available from area and regional food trucks, craft beer breweries, North Carolina wineries and vendors.
The Pinehurst Southern Pines Aberdeen Convention & Visitors Bureau
The Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) is the economic development agency responsible for travel and tourism promotion, product development, and visitor services for Moore County, NC. The CVB devises strategies to enhance the County’s tourism brand value and product to accommodate the next generation of visitors, thereby stimulating the local economy and enhancing the quality of life for residents and visitors alike. In 2019, Moore County ranked as the eleventh largest tourism economy in North Carolina, generating $563 million annually in visitor spending, which supports the second largest employment sector in the county.
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