Why The Blue Angels Weekend At Falcon Field Actually Lasts A Week

The U.S. Navy Blue Angels are on their official 2026 schedule for Peachtree City on Saturday, October 31, and Sunday, November 1. Those are the two days on the posters. The event itself starts earlier. Fayette County paperwork puts setup at Atlanta Regional Airport–Falcon Field on Tuesday, October 27, and teardown on Monday, November 2. A county park closes for most of that week. One extra show day is reserved for people who already paid for a show they never fully saw. The reason for that extra day is last October.

The show Peachtree City didn't fully get in 2025

Air Dot Show Atlanta was scheduled for October 11 and 12, 2025, at Falcon Field, with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds as the named military headliner. The federal shutdown hit first. WSB quoted show officials that week: "All military flight performances have been cancelled due to the federal government shutdown." The weekend went ahead with civilian acts, including a P-51D Mustang, the T-6 Texan "Catch 22," the Full Throttle Formation Team and the REMAX Parachute Team.

Before that weekend, organizers made a promise. Fayette County News reported that if the shutdown kept the military out of the 2025 show, ticket holders who attended would get free admission to the 2026 event, "which will feature the U.S. Navy Blue Angels as headliners." Bryan Lilley, CEO of the Air Dot Show Tour, framed the event as "a full-scale festival of flight" whether or not the military flew.

That promise explains why this year runs longer. The show moved to Falcon Field from Atlanta Motor Speedway, announced in 2019, and the Blue Angels flew here in 2022. Jets over the airport are nothing new in Peachtree City. Paying back a canceled year is new, and the payback needs its own day.

Friday belongs to last year's crowd

The organizer's FAQ calls Friday "a private full-performance day for eligible 2025 ticket holders affected by the government shutdown." Ground displays and vendors will be open, and those guests will see the military demonstrations they missed. The FAQ just says "Friday." On the calendar, that is October 30, the day before the public show.

That means the Blue Angels' routine is planned for three days over the airport. The public will see two of them. Friday is private, so you can't buy your way in. If you live near the field, though, you will probably hear it.

The week, day by day

Here's what the published sources commit to, in order:

1. Tuesday, October 27. Setup at Falcon Field begins at 8 a.m., according to the special-event application filed by the host organization, Greater Atlanta Air Show LLC. The same day, Lake McIntosh Park closes. The Fayette County Board of Commissioners approved the Water Committee's recommendation to close the park from October 27 through November 1 "for the Greater Atlanta Air Show." It was part of the consent agenda, which passed 3–0 at the September 24 meeting.
2. Friday, October 30. The private make-up performance runs at the airport. That evening, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., The Avenue Peachtree City holds its Fall Festival, which The Avenue calls its biggest event of the year. It has center-wide trick-or-treating, character appearances, balloon artists, a bounce house, live music from The Mostly 80s Band and a Newnan Coweta Art Association Arts & Crafts Market.
3. Saturday, October 31. First public show day, and also Halloween. Gates open at 9 a.m., the Flight Line Club and Corporate Chalets open at 10 a.m., and the flying runs from noon to about 4 p.m.
4. Sunday, November 1. Second public show day, on the same schedule. The FAQ says all the major acts perform both days. It's also the last day of the approved Lake McIntosh Park closure.
5. Monday, November 2. Teardown, per the county application.

From setup to teardown, that's seven days of activity tied to a two-day public show.

Where Halloween fits around the flying

On Saturday, the aerial program is set to wrap around 4 p.m. Halloween evening comes after that. So the show and trick-or-treating run back to back, and the 2026 calendar puts them on the same day. The weekend's family events fall into two halves. Friday night belongs to The Avenue's Fall Festival. Saturday daytime belongs to the airfield.

The Avenue area also has a new place to eat this fall. J. Alexander's opened on August 31 at 100 Market Place Boulevard, in the former Smokey Bones building across from The Avenue. The McIntosh High School student newspaper noted it's easy to reach by golf cart or by car. Plan around Friday's crowds at The Avenue for the festival, and around the airport's gate times on Saturday and Sunday.

What the gates allow

If you're going, the FAQ for this event is strict, and a few rules affect how you plan the day:

• Parking comes with the ticket. Every ticket level includes a parking pass sent by email, and none are sold separately. Extra passes go through customer service, and the FAQ warns that parking is limited and they may not be able to accommodate more requests.
• No re-entry. Security and check-in rules mean that once you're in, you can't go back to the car.
• No coolers or outside food. The exception is one sealed, unopened bottle of water per person, up to one liter.
• No personal tents, awnings or beach umbrellas. Hand-held umbrellas and shades attached to beach chairs are allowed. The FAQ says the viewing area is in direct sun with limited shade.
• No pets inside the event site.
• Ear protection is highly recommended, especially for children under 5.
• Kids 5 and under get in free in the General Admission area.
• Bring chairs for General Admission or the Ramp Boxes.
• Show narration is only on the PA inside the gates. There's no radio broadcast.

The airport's address is 7 Falcon Drive. Tourism listings give the CAF Airbase Georgia address at 1200 Echo Court. Your emailed parking pass is the document to go by on show day.

Who else is flying, and what's still settling

The official Air Dot Show Atlanta page lists these acts so far: the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, the F-16 Viper Demo Team, the Full Throttle Formation Team, Michael Goulian, a P-51 Mustang demo, an attack helicopter demo, Cyberbeast vs Plane, the Georgia State Patrol and the REMAX Parachute Team. The organizer says more performers may be added. Other lists don't fully match. An FAA notice, with a schedule stated as current as of August 26, lists the USAF F-35A Lightning II Demo for this show, not the F-16. The CAF Airbase Georgia event page still mentions the Thunderbirds from last year's plan. The organizer's own page is the one to check, and the FAQ says each day's specific lineup is posted about one to two weeks before the show.

As of October 4, some things you'd want to know haven't been announced yet:

• No public road-closure map or traffic advisory for the 2026 show from Peachtree City or Fayette County.
• No published time for Blue Angels arrival or practice flights before Friday.
• No guidance on golf cart or path access near the airport.

The county application mentions directional signage on roadways, but that's an event plan, not a public notice. The Peachtree City Airport Authority owns and operates Falcon Field as its own governmental agency. Its September 15 minutes say an Airbase Georgia presentation was moved to the October meeting. That October meeting is the next public place where airport news could come up before the show.

If air show week has you thinking about life near Falcon Field, or about which part of Peachtree City fits your household, True Atlanta Real Estate can walk you through it. Schedule your free consultation.