AirFest 2026 Bringing Warbirds, Music and Family Fun to Cape May Airport

Issue #794

August 31, 2026

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In This Cape May Local Scoop Issue…

 📆 Cape May Events

☀️ Cape May Local Weather 

🛩️2026 Bringing Warbirds, Music and Family Fun to Cape May Airport

🦋Free Monarch Tagging Demonstrations Return to Cape May Point This Fall 

 🐺 Coyote Sightings Near Wildwood Homes Raise Concerns Among Residents 

Get your vote in for Cape May to be featured in a Hallmark Christmas Movie!

👇 Here’s what’s going on in the Cape May Local Area👇  

 August 31

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 AirFest 2026 Bringing Warbirds, Music and Family Fun to Cape May Airport

Historic warbirds, aviation exhibits, live music, family activities and hands-on educational displays will return to Cape May Airport when the Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum hosts AirFest 2026 from Thursday, Sept. 3, through Sunday, Sept. 6.

The museum’s signature annual event will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, offering visitors a chance to get close to historic aircraft, meet pilots and crews, explore military vehicles and take part in aviation-themed activities.

Among the featured aircraft scheduled to appear is the C-47 Placid Lassie, a World War II combat veteran that crossed the English Channel twice on D-Day while supporting the 101st Airborne Division. The aircraft later participated in Operation Market Garden, the Battle of the Bulge and Operation Varsity.

Also expected is a flying reproduction of the Messerschmitt Me 262, the world’s first operational jet fighter. Developed during World War II, the aircraft was capable of speeds above 500 mph and became an important milestone in the development of military jet aviation.

Other scheduled aircraft include the TBM Avenger Doris Mae, Aero L-39 Albatros, Beechcraft T-34 Mentor, Fuji LM-1, Fairchild UC-61 Forwarder Miss Cherrie II, Stinson OY-1 Sentinel Gayle Ann, several SNJ and AT-6 Texans, a Harvard/T-6, Yak-52TD, PT-26 Cornell and Nanchang CJ-6.

Public safety and emergency response agencies will also take part. Planned displays include equipment and aircraft from organizations such as AtlantiCare, the New Jersey State Police, Cape May County Mosquito Control and the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. Lower Township Police are expected to showcase drone operations, while fire, rescue and law enforcement agencies will display specialized vehicles and equipment.

The event will also place a strong emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics education. The New Jersey Wing Civil Air Patrol, FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center Aviation STEM Program and other organizations are expected to offer interactive exhibits and educational presentations.

Families will find activities including free face painting, caricatures, chalk art, paddle boats and opportunities to climb aboard participating fire trucks and emergency vehicles. Smokey Bear is also scheduled to make an appearance.

Historic Hangar No. 1 will serve as the center for much of the event’s live entertainment and historical programming. Ted Schwartz will present a 1940s-style radio program featuring period music and presentations about World War II and the history of Naval Air Station Wildwood.

The Magnolia Sadies Vintage Dancers will bring 1940s music and dance to the event on Saturday. Live music is also scheduled from the John Walter Cape Community Band on Thursday, Maddie Hogan on Friday and Animal House on Saturday and Sunday.

Food vendors and local artisans will be spread throughout the festival grounds. Victory Scoops inside Historic Hangar No. 1 will offer ice cream, milkshakes, hot dogs, nachos, pretzels and other refreshments. A beer and wine garden will offer local alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

Aircraft appearances, arrival times and daily schedules remain subject to change because of weather, maintenance, operational requirements and other circumstances.

The annual event supports the NASW Aviation Museum’s efforts to preserve Historic Hangar No. 1, maintain its collection and educate visitors about the history of Naval Air Station Wildwood, including the 42 servicemen who died while training at the base during World War II.

Free Monarch Tagging Demonstrations Return to Cape May Point This Fall

New Jersey Audubon’s Monarch Monitoring Project is offering free, family-friendly monarch tagging demonstrations at Cape May Point State Park during the fall migration season. The programs are held at the East Shelter next to the Hawkwatch platform and require no advance registration.

Visitors can learn how monarch butterflies migrate through Cape May and watch researchers carefully attach small identification tags to individual butterflies. The tags are part of a larger research effort to better understand monarch migration along the Atlantic coast and the butterflies’ extraordinary journey to overwintering grounds in Mexico.

Established in 1990, the Monarch Monitoring Project has spent more than three decades collecting migration data in Cape May while educating residents and visitors about monarch biology and conservation. Cape May's geography makes the area an important location for observing migrating monarchs as they travel south during the fall.

Some monarchs can cover more than 2,500 miles during their migration, despite weighing less than a paper clip. Their populations face threats including habitat loss, pesticides, extreme weather and climate change, making research and conservation increasingly important.

The tagging demonstrations allow children and adults to see wildlife research firsthand while learning how they can help monarchs through habitat protection and other conservation efforts. Programs are offered on select dates during the fall migration season, and visitors should consult New Jersey Audubon’s schedule for specific dates and times.

Coyote Sightings Near Wildwood Homes Raise Concerns Among Residents

Residents living near Wildwood’s back bay are raising safety concerns as coyotes increasingly venture near homes and residential yards, with city officials warning that people feeding the animals may be encouraging them to remain close to neighborhoods.

Neighbors have reported seeing multiple coyotes around the back bay, including near a former landfill that is being redeveloped into a nature preserve. Some residents say the animals have approached fences and dug underneath them, creating particular concern for families with young children and pets.

Wildwood officials say coyotes have lived in the area for years without significant problems, but feeding the animals can cause them to lose their natural fear of people and begin associating residential areas with an easy source of food.

More than a dozen warning signs have been installed in the area reminding residents and visitors not to feed coyotes. Mayor Ernie Troiano Jr. has warned that people caught feeding the animals could face fines of up to $1,000.

Despite the recent concern, officials say the coyotes have not displayed aggressive behavior, and no recent attacks or other serious incidents have been reported.

The location where many of the animals have been seen is undergoing a transition from a former landfill into a nature preserve. City officials hope that as the project progresses, the coyotes will remain within more suitable natural habitat rather than wandering into nearby residential areas.

A wildlife professional inspected the area several weeks ago and is expected to return in the fall to reassess the situation.

New Jersey Fish and Wildlife says coyotes are established throughout the state, including Cape May County, and negative interactions between coyotes and people remain relatively uncommon.

Wildlife officials recommend that residents never intentionally feed coyotes or leave potential food sources accessible. Garbage should be secured, pet food should be brought indoors and pets should be monitored outside. Residents can also reinforce fencing and use motion-activated lighting or other deterrents to discourage coyotes from entering their properties.

Anyone who encounters a coyote that appears aggressive, unusually fearless or sick can contact the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection hotline at 877-WARN-DEP.

 Answer to the August 30th Trivia Question 

Which famous birdwatching event takes place annually in Cape May, New Jersey?

A) Audubon Bird Festival
B) World Series of Birding
C) Great Backyard Bird Count
D) Global Big Day

Answer: B) World Series of Birding

The World Series of Birding is a 24-hour international birdwatching championship launched in 1984 by Pete Dunne. This event attracts birdwatchers from all over the world to Cape May, which is known for its unique vantage point at the junction of the ocean and bay, making it a major migratory route.​​

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