Iconic event takes flight again as the Atlantic City Soar & Shore Festival
By James FitzPatrick
Atlantic City will be hosting an airshow this summer after all.
On March 19, the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority announced that the airshow will return in July, a positive turn around following last summer’s cancellation disappointment. What used to be the Visit Atlantic City Airshow “A Salute to Those Who Serve,” will be reborn as the Visit Atlantic City Soar & Shore Festival.
Set for Tuesday and Wednesday, July 15-16, the airshow will be more modest than the Atlantic City Airshows the public is used to. But the hope is that in the future, additional events can be developed around it to make the airshow the centerpiece of a larger program of fun happenings that will attract visitors to the city.
Although no lineup has been announced as yet, it will be focused on civilian aviation and produced by Herb Gillen Airshows, a firm respected in the industry as a producer of successful airshows, according to Visit Atlantic City.
The original version of the airshow was held on a Wednesday in August, and was known for featuring the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds precision aerobatic team. The show was grounded in 2024 when the military jet teams were suddenly no longer available to do shows midweek. The show was put on “strategic pause” by the Greater Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce in December while its future was reevaluated.
It was a painful blow for a signature local event that had been a huge success, growing for more than 20 years, and drawing massive crowds to the resort.
The Atlantic City Airshow has been a beloved tradition since its debut in 2003 as “Thunder Over the Boardwalk.” Run by the Greater Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce and David Schultz Airshows, the event has topped 500,000 spectators along the beach and Boardwalk, lured by a free event capped by the spectacular Thunderbirds, with various civilian and military performers mixed in.
The show filled a unique business niche by creating a midweek attraction during what would otherwise be just another Wednesday in the summer. It was a mid-August jolt worth millions to the economy – a free-to-the public, single-day (two days if you count Tuesday practice) entertainment blockbuster that could only be slowed by federal budget cuts and COVID.
It’s a date that everyone circled on their summer calendars. That’s why the effort to revive it is seen as worthwhile, even if the reboot is a modest one by comparison.
Gary Musich, CEO of Visit Atlantic City which is now running the event, said unlike the 20-year-developed show, it will be modest, while setting the stage for future expansion, and taking advantage of a fortuitous opportunity to work with well-known airshow producer Herb Gillen.
“I want to make sure expectations are clear: this isn’t the airshow that took 20 years to build. It’s a smaller, civilian-based show that will be entertaining – but it’s a bridge year,” Musich said. “We’re building this in three and a half months to create something we can expand on and make into a bigger event.”
The plan is to make it more than an airshow.
“We’re calling it a festival because we want to start promoting other things happening in the city as part of it and then build off that,” said Musich. “For example, it’s the same week as the Jimmy Johnson Fishing Tournament and the Antique Car Show at Boardwalk Hall. We’re trying to build components around everything else going on. So now you’ve got three events to talk about for the week.
“This year, it’s a free event,” he continued. “There won’t be big sponsor tents on the beach. We just want people to know there’s an event happening, an airshow we’re going to build on. Then, in 2026, 2027 and 2028, we’ll keep making this a bigger event for Atlantic City. Hopefully, it becomes a week of activities in the city.”
Musical acts at Boardwalk Hall are also slated to be part of this year’s airshow program, which are expected to be announced in the next two weeks.
Musich said the Greater Atlantic City Chamber and everyone involved including the city, South Jersey, Transportation Authority, and the casino association are all working together. He emphasized the importance of collaboration, noting that it’s not just Visit Atlantic City involved.
He pointed out that the opportunity to partner with Herb Gillen Airshows came through Greater Atlantic City, Chamber of Commerce President Michael Chait and his connections with the International Council of Air Shows (ICAS).
In a statement to the media, the Chamber acknowledged the passing of the torch.
“This represents a new chapter and natural progression for our beloved airshow. Visit Atlantic City’s public funding structure (through the CRDA), dedicated resources, and talented staff will allow the airshow to reach new heights and explore exciting opportunities for evolution and expansion.”
There will be multiple ways to measure the success of airshow 2.0 including website clicks and room bookings through the newly launched visitatlanticcity.com. Press coverage about positive developments in Atlantic City and the region is also a plus.
“But most importantly, you’re getting a lot of press for the city right now – positive press – and we need that,” Musich said.
Copy editor and Contributing Writer James FitzPatrick has been a community journalist in Atlantic and Cape May counties for more than 30 years, including 20 years as editor of The Current Newspapers. He lives in Hammonton.
