Cherry Festival, Airport Seek End to Public Airshow Spat

Both the National Cherry Festival and Cherry Capital Airport hope to “bury the hatchet” and break an impasse regarding the future of the festival’s air show.

At issue is the long-running air show’s impact on what has become an increasingly busy airport. The two-day air show and associated practices restrict the normal flow of traffic at an airport that now has a dozen or more flights an hour in the busy summer months, up substantially from a decade ago.

The airport wants to limit the duration of the show and practices to reduce disruption of air traffic, among other terms, but the festival says conditions requested by the airport could harm or even kill the show.

The dispute came to a very public and sometimes tense head Tuesday in a Cherry Festival press conference followed almost immediately by a board meeting of the Northwest Regional Airport Authority (NRAA), which governs the airport.

After issuing a press release last week stating that the future of the show was “in peril due to ever changing and baseless terms,” sought by the NRAA, the Cherry Festival during the press conference slammed the airport and reiterated that airport officials are putting the future of the show “in serious jeopardy.”

“The National Cherry Festival is unwilling to sign an egregious $100,000 user agreement for our rightful use of the National Airspace System of which the airport does not have the authority to control,” said Christian Smith, the festival’s air show director. “We will not cater to an agreement that is designed solely to profit off of our event.”

The agreement provided by the airport includes a fee of $86,000 if no arresting gear is to be installed at the airport, or $106,000 if it is. Cherry Festival Executive Director Kat Paye tells The Ticker the airport has never explicitly requested such a fee before, but that the festival has regularly provided the airport in-kind sponsorship items (tickets, etc.) of $80,000 or more in value.

But regardless of terms, festival officials wished to make it clear that they believe the airport has no legal authority to cancel the show if a deal is not met. The last communication they received from the airport contained a deadline to sign the deal by Thursday, Paye said.

“The most important thing for you all to take from today, I believe, is that the 2024 National Cherry Festival air show will go on as scheduled,” Smith said. “The airport does not have the jurisdiction to delay it or cancel it.”

About an hour later in a filled meeting room at the airport, NRAA attorney Karrie Zeits did not agree with that stance. She says the FAA requires an agreement to ensure the airport is carrying out its duties safely and effectively.

“I think there is some disagreement between the parties whether we need an agreement, however it's our position that we do need it,” she said.

NRAA board members at that meeting expressed disappointment that the festival roped the media into the negotiations, but unanimously expressed a desire to iron out a deal.

“I don't like the Cherry Festival. I love the Cherry Festival. I don't like the air show. I love the air show. I want this to happen,” said NRAA board member Darryl Nelson, who also serves on the Grand Traverse County Commission. “I'm really hoping that this impasse can be broken.”

NRAA board chairman Steve Plamondon said it’s a matter of making sure that impact on the increasingly busy airport is minimized while finding a way to still put on a great airshow. It’s a goal he believes is within reach through good-faith negotiations down the stretch.

“I have never heard any (airport) board member or staff member say they would like to see the air show go away.” he said. “Have people said that the air show needs to adapt to our current mode of operation? Absolutely. We have changed a tremendous amount in a very short period of time, and we’re trying to rebalance so that both entities have (great products).”

While the airport board and staff generally agreed that the ball was the in the festival’s court to suggest additional changes to the agreement, the board directed CEO Kevin Klein to continue negotiations. Board member Doug DeYoung put it bluntly.

“My recommendation is just pick a day, sit in a room, close the door, and don't leave until you have an agreement,” he said.

After the meeting, Paye told The Ticker she’s “absolutely hopeful,” a deal will be reached.

“That all sounded promising, which was a different tone than the last communication we received, which was a deadline of signing by 5 p.m. on Thursday or they’d consider it withdrawn,” she said.