NEWS RELEASE
CITY OF BARRIE
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The 2024 Barrie Airshow weekend, presented by Pratt Homes, will be taking place this weekend — Friday, June 14 to Sunday, June 16.
This free weekend-long event is in partnership with the City of Barrie, the Canadian Forces Base Borden, the County of Simcoe, Lake Simcoe Regional Airport, and the Downtown Barrie BIA.
The 2024 Airshow is particularly special, as this year marks the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).
The event gets underway on Friday evening at 8 p.m. with a free concert at Meridian Place featuring Daniel Romano’s Outfit. The concert will be followed by a drone show presented by Pratt Homes and Barn Burner Hockey. Spectators will see 200 drones over Kempenfelt Bay come together to create colourful imagery in the night sky. The show was specifically created for Barrie’s airshow with the theme being RCAF100.
Planes will take to the skies over Kempenfelt Bay at 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, with an opening address starting at approximately 12:30 p.m. The show will include the Canadian Forces Snowbirds (431 Air Demonstration Squadron), the Canadian Armed Forces SkyHawks Parachute Team, the CF-18 Demonstration Team, the Northern Stars Aeroteam, solo aerobatic pilot Mike Tryggvason, Timmermans Legends of Flight P-51 and Sea Fury, the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association, the Edenvale Classic Aircraft Foundation, and more.
The weekend will also include:
- Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. – Activities and vendors at Heritage Park, Meridian Place, and Dunlop Street, including Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Borden interactive displays and vehicles, Open Air Dunlop, family programming, food and merchandise vendors, patios, and more
- Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. – Flying Monkeys licensed area at Heritage Park and Donaleigh's Landshark licensed area and Food Vendor Village at Will Dwyer Park
- Saturday and Sunday, 12 p.m. – Muskoka Extreme water show at Heritage Park
- Saturday, 4 p.m. – CFB Borden Brass & Reed Volunteer Band at Meridian Place
- Saturday, 8:30 p.m. – Meet and greet with pilots and crew of the 2024 Barrie Airshow at Meridian Place
- Saturday, dusk (approximately 9:30 p.m.) – free film screening of Memphis Belle at Meridian Place
Viewing and Tuning In
Recommended viewing for the Airshow is at Heritage Park, Centennial Park, Will Dwyer Park, Southshore Park, Allandale Station Park, Minet’s Point Park, or any of the small parks along the north and south shores of Kempenfelt Bay.
Tune in to 87.9 FM from the waterfront to follow along with show commentary.
Getting to the Show
Barrie Transit is offering a free park ‘n ride shuttle from Allandale Rec Centre (190 Bayview Drive), H Block parking lot (50 Worsley Street), and other stops along the route to get you to and from the Airshow festivities on June 14, 15 and 16.
Parking is available within walking distance along the waterfront and throughout the downtown.
The following road closures will be in effect over the weekend:
- Dunlop Street (Maple Avenue to Mulcaster Street) from 6 a.m. Saturday, June 15 to 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, June 16.
- Simcoe Street (Bayfield Street to Dunlop Street East) from 6 a.m. Saturday, June 15 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, June 16.
Viewing from the Water and Access Restrictions
For the safety of the public and airshow pilots, a safety line will be formed from Brentwood Marine to Johnson’s Beach. Water access and water-based activities will be restricted in the area west of the line (including Centennial Park and Minet’s Point Park) during the following times:
- Friday, June 14 – 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
- Saturday, June 15 – 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
- Sunday, June 16 – 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
*Times are approximate and subject to change on the day of the show
Restricted activities include boating, access in and out of the marina and boat launches, swimming, kayaking, canoeing, stand up paddle boarding, etc. The safety line will be enforced by the Barrie Police and their service partners on Lake Simcoe.
The Tiffin Boat Launch will be closed all day June 14-15 and June 16 until 5 p.m. Boaters are encouraged to consider using nearby public launches including Innisfil and Orillia area.
No Drone Zone
The airspace will be restricted June 14-16. For the safety of all involved, flying of drones anywhere in the area is strictly prohibited.
Personal Safety
For the personal safety of all spectators, please consider the below recommendations:
- Wear ear protection, especially for children
- Wear a hat, sunglasses and apply sunscreen
- Stay hydrated
For more information, including the full event schedule and details about how to get around, visit barrie.ca/airshow.
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