Salinas looks up in late September. The California International Airshow fills the sky over Salinas Municipal Airport with aerobatics, vintage warbirds, and the kind of high-speed passes that rattle your chest from the ground, a weekend tradition that doubles as a fundraiser for local charities.
The lineup changes year to year but the shape holds, civilian aerobatic performers, historic aircraft, and often a military demonstration team as the headliner. Between the flying, the ramp fills with static displays you can walk right up to, and the crowd makes a full day of it with food, shade tents, and lawn chairs staked out early.
Gates open in the morning and the flying builds through the afternoon, so come early for parking and a good patch of grass. Bring sun protection, ear protection for the kids, and water, since the valley heat in September is no joke and there is little natural shade on the field.
Traffic into the airport backs up before the headline act, so the veterans arrive well ahead of the first flight and treat the whole day as the event rather than racing in for the finale.
Show times and gate details post to our events calendar, and our News coverage follows the big regional events. For tickets and the performer lineup, the California International Airshow site has the details.