Pumpkins Will Take to the Skies at Front Royal Warren County Airport Oct. 24

Pumpkins will fall from airplanes over Warren County later this month as a popular fall event returns to Front Royal-Warren County Airport.

The airport’s fall event and pumpkin drop will take place Saturday, Oct. 24, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., bringing together airplanes, pilots, trick-or-treating, children’s activities, food, and an unusual aerial competition.

The pumpkin drop will serve as the finale, beginning around 1 p.m. Participating pilots will fly over a target and try to drop a pumpkin as close as possible.

John Bert, a member of the Airport Commission, said pilots must register and attend a mandatory safety briefing before participating.

“We’ll put a little witch out there in the grass and a little target,” Bert said. “Whoever gets the closest wins the prize.”

Spectators can watch from a designated area safely separated from the competition while still getting a good view of the action.

Airport Commission member Eric von Wiesendonk will serve as master of ceremonies, providing information about the airplanes and pilots as they make their pumpkin-drop attempts.

Pilots from throughout the region are expected to participate.

“Some just want to come for the seminar or the event, and others are really excited about participating and dropping pumpkins,” said Julie van Jaarsveld, co-owner and co-founder of Skydive Front Royal. “It’s like no other event in Warren County.”

A Morning Of Airplanes And Family Activities

Pilots can fly into the airport between 8 and 9 a.m. and position their aircraft on the ramp for static displays.

The event opens to the public at 9 a.m.

A pancake breakfast will also begin at 9. Breakfast will be free for children younger than 12 and $10 per plate for everyone else. Organizers are asking those purchasing breakfast to bring cash.

The breakfast is expected to continue until around 11 a.m.

Food trucks will take over as the morning progresses. MYS Crepe Truck is expected to begin serving around 10:30 or 11 a.m., while Fort Valley Smokers will offer pulled pork and pulled chicken sandwiches.

Children will have plenty to do besides looking at the airplanes.

Plans include a bounce house, face painting, crafts, and pumpkin painting. Children are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes and can trick-or-treat around the aircraft.

A costume parade is also planned.

Raffles will be held during the event, including opportunities to win skydives. Organizers said another raffle will offer a flight in a Cirrus aircraft.

With the event taking place in late October, organizers hope passengers will also get an aerial view of the Shenandoah Valley’s changing fall colors.

Pilots will have their own activities during the day, including an aviation safety seminar scheduled for 11:30 a.m.

Introducing The Community To Its Airport

Beyond pumpkins and Halloween activities, organizers said the event has another purpose: reminding Warren County residents that the airport belongs to their community and is available for them to enjoy.

Bert said many residents may not realize how much activity takes place at the airport.

“One of the great things about the airport here is that the county really strives to keep it very open to the public,” he said.

The grounds include chairs, grass, and green space, and people sometimes visit simply to picnic and watch aircraft.

Visitors can also meet pilots, who Bert said are often eager to talk about flying and share their interest in aviation.

“This is just another event that lets people know, hey, we have an airport,” Bert said. “It’s your airport. Come watch, come participate.”

The airport also draws pilots from outside Warren County.

Bert said some aircraft owners who live closer to Northern Virginia use the Warren County facility because of the more complicated restricted airspace around Washington, D.C., and because keeping and operating an aircraft locally can be more affordable.

Visiting pilots can use a county-provided courtesy car to travel into Front Royal and surrounding areas for meals and other stops.

That connection can translate into business for the community, Bert said, as visiting pilots spend money at local restaurants and other businesses.

Aviation And Skydiving At The Airport

Skydive Front Royal and Front Royal Aviation are among the businesses operating from the airport.

Van Jaarsveld said Front Royal Aviation offers discovery flights for people interested in experiencing flying or considering pursuing a private pilot’s license.

Skydive Front Royal offers tandem skydiving.

The number of people willing to jump from an airplane might surprise some residents.

“We did about a thousand last year,” van Jaarsveld said of the company’s tandem skydives.

The airport’s fall event is another way for people who may never have visited the facility to see the aviation activity taking place there.

Organizers said the Airport Commission, Warren County, and airport supporters work together to make the event possible. The Friends of Front Royal Airport also helps support the event, with fundraising intended to help cover the cost of future activities rather than placing that expense on the county.

The Oct. 24 celebration will mark the second time the airport has held the pumpkin drop and the third year it has hosted a fall event.

From trick-or-treating around airplanes to watching pilots aim pumpkins at a target from above, organizers hope the event will give families a reason to spend a few hours at a part of Warren County they might otherwise drive past.

The event runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The pumpkin drop is scheduled to begin around 1 p.m.

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