Getting the Fargo AirSho off the ground in the wake of Sunday's early-morning downpour was miraculous, co-chairman Dick Walstad said Monday.
When show organizing committee members arrived at 8 a.m. Sunday, they were stunned. They found up to 2 feet of water in a spectator seating area. They also discovered that the wind had knocked down some concession stands and mud was everywhere.
They decided to delay the show's starting time from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The later start meant four acts had to be cut. The heavy, low clouds forced other performers to revise their acts or shorten them a little.
Despite all of that, the show drew a crowd of about 7,800, Walstad estimated. And the two-day total may surpass 40,000.
"The committee pulled off a miracle," Walstad said.
ADVERTISEMENT
Ironically, the committee was braced for bad weather Saturday.
"We were on the computer every day for the last two weeks to get the latest forecast," Walstad said. "It looked as though Saturday would be the lousy day."
Instead, the weather was perfect, with clear skies and pleasant temperatures, and preliminary estimates put attendance at 30,000 to 35,000, according to Walstad.
If that many people actually viewed the show, it would be a record for a single-day's attendance, he said.
The previous one-day record was 19,000, set in 1989.
"All in all, it was a good show," he said. "We were very pleased with how it went."
Co-chairman Darrol Schroeder said the show was especially successful considering there were no accidents.
"Of course there's always a few sunburn cases," Schroeder said.
ADVERTISEMENT
Another success of the show was bringing exposure to the Fargo Air Museum, Schroeder said. Last weekend's AirSho was the first since the museum opened at its 19th Avenue North location in September.
"I personally thought having the museum there added so much," Schroeder said.
If the show made enough money to pay the bills -- $234,000 worth -- the committee will put some of what's left in the bank for the next show, Walstad said.
"I'm quite confident we'll be covering our expenses," Schroeder said.
The committee hopes to have enough left to donate some to the Fargo Air Museum and the Roger Maris Cancer Center as well.
Walstad said that in 1999, the last year of an AirSho, the event went $30,000 in the hole. However, the committee was able to donate $20,000 to the cancer center following the 1997 show, he said.
The next Fargo AirSho will be planned for 2004. Schroeder said the committee has an unwritten agreement with the Grand Forks, N.D., Air Force Base to alternate years for major events.
Usually Fargo's show is scheduled for August, but this year it was moved up to ensure a Blue Angels performance, Schroeder said.
ADVERTISEMENT
Readers can reach Forum reporters
Ellen Crawford at (701) 241-5523 or ecrawford@forumcomm.com ; and Amy Dalrymple at (701) 235-7311 or adalrymple@forum comm..com
Forum staff writers
Getting the Fargo AirSho off the ground in the wake of Sunday's early-morning downpour was miraculous, co-chairman Dick Walstad said Monday.
When show organizing committee members arrived at 8 a.m. Sunday, they were stunned. They found up to 2 feet of water in a spectator seating area. They also discovered that the wind had knocked down some concession stands and mud was everywhere.
They decided to delay the show's starting time from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The later start meant four acts had to be cut. The heavy, low clouds forced other performers to revise their acts or shorten them a little.
Despite all of that, the show drew a crowd of about 7,800, Walstad estimated. And the two-day total may surpass 40,000.
"The committee pulled off a miracle," Walstad said.
ADVERTISEMENT
Ironically, the committee was braced for bad weather Saturday.
"We were on the computer every day for the last two weeks to get the latest forecast," Walstad said. "It looked as though Saturday would be the lousy day."
Instead, the weather was perfect, with clear skies and pleasant temperatures, and preliminary estimates put attendance at 30,000 to 35,000, according to Walstad.
If that many people actually viewed the show, it would be a record for a single-day's attendance, he said.
The previous one-day record was 19,000, set in 1989.
"All in all, it was a good show," he said. "We were very pleased with how it went."
Co-chairman Darrol Schroeder said the show was especially successful considering there were no accidents.
"Of course there's always a few sunburn cases," Schroeder said.
ADVERTISEMENT
Another success of the show was bringing exposure to the Fargo Air Museum, Schroeder said. Last weekend's AirSho was the first since the museum opened at its 19th Avenue North location in September.
"I personally thought having the museum there added so much," Schroeder said.
If the show made enough money to pay the bills -- $234,000 worth -- the committee will put some of what's left in the bank for the next show, Walstad said.
"I'm quite confident we'll be covering our expenses," Schroeder said.
The committee hopes to have enough left to donate some to the Fargo Air Museum and the Roger Maris Cancer Center as well.
Walstad said that in 1999, the last year of an AirSho, the event went $30,000 in the hole. However, the committee was able to donate $20,000 to the cancer center following the 1997 show, he said.
The next Fargo AirSho will be planned for 2004. Schroeder said the committee has an unwritten agreement with the Grand Forks, N.D., Air Force Base to alternate years for major events.
Usually Fargo's show is scheduled for August, but this year it was moved up to ensure a Blue Angels performance, Schroeder said.
ADVERTISEMENT
Readers can reach Forum reporters
Ellen Crawford at (701) 241-5523 or ecrawford@forumcomm.com ; and Amy Dalrymple at (701) 235-7311 or adalrymple@forum comm..com
