On the morning of Saturday, August 17, the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority (CVA) presented the annual Gary Air Show alongside the City of Gary and Gary/Chicago International Airport. Spectators from across the Region laid out blankets and set up lawn chairs on Marquette Park Beach to relax and watch the high-flying stunts of the pilots and parachuters. Food vendors set up trucks and tents, ready to supply attendees with an array of delicious meals and snacks.
Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana, Peoples Bank, Strack & Van Til, the Gary SouthShore RailCats, the Albanese Candy Factory, and NorthShore Health Centers numbered among the many sponsors for this year’s installment of the air show. Phil Taillon, president and CEO of South Shore CVA, is very pleased to see the Gary Air Show return to Marquette Park Beach.
“Many years ago, spectators would gather at Marquette Park Beach to watch the Gary Air Show,” Taillon said. “It was eventually moved to another location, but we finally brought the show back here where it belongs last year. Marquette Park Beach is one of the Region’s most beautiful locations and the fact that the air show is being held here once again elevates it to an even higher level of quality and helps make it one of the best events in the state of Indiana, if not beyond.”
The exclusive United States Army’s Golden Knights Parachute Team, a branch of the Army’s recruiting division, is populated by only the most committed, upstanding, and skilled of the Army’s paratroopers. A Golden Knight kicked off the air show by descending with an American flag fastened to his parachute lines as the announcer sang the national anthem. The rest of the team then demonstrated their parachute stunt prowess to the enthusiastic crowd. Once all of the team members had landed, they greeted the attendees and participated in a Q&A session. The stunt pilots then took to the skies above Lake Michigan, wowing the crowd with their death-defying stunts.
This is the first year that John Sallas, a Whiting resident, has attended the air show. He wore the 1974 Golden Knight parachute uniform that belonged to his late father Joe Sallas, a Green Beret Special Forces Army Paratrooper during the Korean War. Joe Sallas was named an honorary Golden Knight when he successfully tested a captured – and potentially booby-trapped – Russian parachute to learn its specific purpose. John Sallas considers the Gary Air Show an excellent opportunity to celebrate his father’s memory.
“I’m really glad to be sharing my father’s story with the other spectators and wearing his suit to honor him,” John Sallas said. “I'm proud to be able to stand here and watch the Golden Knights’ routine. Freedom is not free, and I just want to salute all of the veterans who paid the price for our democracy. Our country is in a very serious position right now. Instead of being divided, we should focus on coming together. The air show is an excellent reminder of this and that’s why I love this event.”
Attendees enjoyed food and treats from Crown Creamery, Kona Ice, Polly Ann Cakes, The Cheesy Truck, and Impulso Wood Fired Pizza. Representatives from organizations like Indiana Dunes Tourism, T-Mobile, The Museum at Lassen’s Resort, and Indiana American Water chatted with attendees and provided them with informational material. Taillon and his team appreciate the opportunity to bring the residents of the Region yet another exciting installment of the Gary Air Show.
“I hope everyone enjoys the show and has a good time here today,” Taillon said. “We have so many amazing people and families living here in Lake County. I believe that they deserve to have an event of this caliber right in their own backyard. They can always go see the Chicago Air Show, but this event is close to home and easily accessible. I'm very excited that we were able to put this event on for everyone in our county to enjoy.”
You can learn more about South Shore CVA’s upcoming events by visiting southshorecva.com.
