Live music, food, aircraft displays and a visit from Santa Claus will be the highlights of a holiday party planned at the Casa Grande Municipal Airport terminal building from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday.
Santa Claus will arrive at the airport, 3225 N. Lear Ave., at 2 p.m. in a Pinal County Sheriff’s Office helicopter and will be available to visit with children, said Kyle Sims, a pilot and one of the organizers of the holiday party.
The event is free and open to the public.
“Everyone is welcome,” Sims said.
The Foxtrot Cafe, located inside the terminal building, will be open during the event.
Sims said he hopes the party will help people discover the airport is a great place to visit and introduce young people to aviation.
“We’d like to get kids excited about aviation,” Sims said. “There’s a serious pilot shortage in this country.”
”And it’s a fun place to visit,“ he continued. “People can come out anytime and eat at the Foxtrot Cafe and watch planes take off and fly in.”
The Foxtrot Cafe is usually open from 6:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and sells salads, sandwiches, wraps and breakfast items.
Saturday’s event will feature cookies, crafts and a chance to learn more about airplanes and aviation.
“It will be a lot of fun,” said Sims’ wife, Velvet. “We want to see grandparents out there with the grandchildren and whole families.”
Throughout the event, organizers will collect toys for Against Abuse Inc. and nonperishable food for donation. Attendees are asked to bring an unwrapped toy or a nonperishable food item.