Last month’s Peterborough Air Show drew approximately 9,000 people to the city and resulted in an estimated surplus of $10,000 to $15,000, according to the City of Peterborough.
The event, which was held Sept. 21 and 22, celebrated the 50th anniversary of Peterborough’s airport.
In April, the city contributed $500,000 towards the event, which featured a number of aerial demonstrations, including the Canadian Forces Snowbirds, the Canadian Armed Forces SkyHawks parachute demonstration team and the Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 demonstration team. There were also a number of static displays and booths at the airport tarmac.
“While the air show was an opportunity to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Peterborough Airport that has become a significant employment hub for our region, the real benefit of the event was the tourism, the broader economic spinoff of the large event and the public awareness it created,” said Mayor Diane Therrien.
“Thank you to everyone who attended and to all of the volunteers, organizers and corporate sponsors who helped to make it such a successful event.”
The city says nearly 60 per cent of patrons came from outside the city, including hundreds from the Durham, Greater Toronto Area and Quinte regions. The city noted that promotion of the event generated more than 2.5 million digital impressions across its target markets of Peterborough, Lindsay, Belleville and Durham.
Therrien even parachuted with the Skyhawks during a practice jump before the air show to help promote the event.