Rumble Over the Redwoods airshow returns to Humboldt in 2026

Rumble Over the Redwoods is set to bring another crowded summer weekend to the California Redwood Coast-Humboldt County Airport, with two days of flying, static displays and family programming scheduled for Aug. 8-9, 2026. The show’s return gives Humboldt County another high-visibility tourism play, one that officials have already treated as a draw for visitor spending and airport exposure.

The event’s organizers say the airshow is run by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on preserving aviation heritage and inspiring future pilots. Gates will open at 9 a.m. both days, and flying will run from noon until about 4 p.m., giving spectators a full daytime schedule at ACV. Tickets are on a dynamic pricing model, with advance purchases cheaper than later ones, and the site also offers a chalet and VIP package with parking and catered lunch.

The performer list points to a larger production than a simple flyover. The Patriots Jet Team, Luke Aikins, Red Bull Air Force, Lost Coast Warbirds, Planes of Fame Air Museum aircraft, Cal Fire aircraft and the U.S. Coast Guard are all part of the planned lineup. Organizers are also promising aerobatics, jet demonstrations, skydivers, World War II-era aircraft, food trucks, novelty vendors and family activities, making the airport itself the center of the weekend.

For McKinleyville and the surrounding area, the event’s biggest impact is likely to come from people, not planes. The inaugural Rumble Over the Redwoods, held Aug. 10-11, 2024 at the same airport, drew more than 10,000 attendees over two days, a sign that the show already has enough regional pull to fill parking areas, crowd local roads and send visitors toward nearby businesses. County leaders backed the event in 2024 as a tourist-revenue draw, underscoring why the airport has become a venue worth watching when summer event calendars are set.

The show has also already shown an ability to blend spectacle with local memory. During the 2025 edition, 100-year-old World War II veteran Joe Peterburs flew in a P-51H Mustang from Humboldt County airport, a moment that reinforced the event’s veterans-and-history theme. For 2026, organizers are tying the airshow to the nation’s 250th anniversary, raising the stakes for a weekend that will once again put Humboldt County’s airport in front of a large regional audience. Volunteers are part of that support network too, with lunch, water and a crew T-shirt offered to those who apply each year.