Spectators take pictures of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds performing during the 2018 Atlantic City Airshow, “Thunder over the Boardwalk,” Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2018. (Tim Hawk, NJ Advance Media/TNS)
(Tribune News Service) — A popular Jersey Shore event vital to Atlantic City’s summer tourist season may be in jeopardy of not happening for at least one year because of questions about its financial health.
The Atlantic City Airshow may not happen this summer because of funding shortfalls by its organizers, according to a report from WOND-AM.
Mayor Marty Small Sr. appeared on Don Williams’ morning show Monday to address the reports, saying an official announcement is likely in the next few weeks. The mayor said there have been “some discussions on the health of funds.”
The airshow is scheduled to be held Aug. 13 and 14, according to its website. It’s put on by the Greater Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce, which did not immediately return a request from NJ Advance Media for comment.
Small said Monday that Atlantic City is not involved in planning the spectacle that brings thousands to Atlantic City’s beaches each year, leaving it with little space to make any final decision.
“I’m working with the chamber and other partners to make the airshow the best it can be,” Small said during Monday’s broadcast, adding that he would consider soliciting the state for help if needed.
The airshow has been a 20-year phenomenon for Atlantic City, pushing to offer a dazzling group of stunt-performing planes as a way to draw family oriented crowds to a city known mostly for gambling and adult entertainment. A crowd of about 500,000 typically lines the beach yearly to watch the performances
It’s most known for a main act from the Thunderbirds, a U.S. Air Force division devoted to fighter jet demonstrations.
Airshows in New Jersey date back to 1910 when among the first in the U.S. were held in Atlantic City and Asbury Park.
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