Watsonville Municipal Airport is one of our community’s most unique assets.
While many people may think of airports simply as places where aircraft take off and land, our airport has become so much more. Today, it serves as a hub for education, innovation, community engagement, and future opportunities for Watsonville residents of all ages.
I appreciate how our airport continues to connect directly with the community.
Throughout the year, the airport hosts events and partnerships that invite residents onto the airfield to experience aviation in exciting and meaningful ways. From blood drives and community events to educational programs and family-friendly open houses, the airport continues to find ways to bring people together.
One of the most exciting efforts happening at the airport right now is its investment in the next generation. Through partnerships with local schools, educators, pilots, and aviation professionals, students are gaining hands-on learning experiences that can help shape future careers and opportunities.
A great example is the partnership with Pajaro Valley Unified School District’s new aviation pathway program, part of its Career Technical Education curriculum. Students are receiving hands-on exposure to aircraft maintenance, aeronautical engineering, and flight systems while learning directly from industry professionals. Earlier this year, students even began assembling a functioning aircraft at the Watsonville Aviation Education Center. It is an incredible example of what can happen when education, industry, and community partnerships come together.
The airport’s outreach efforts also extend to younger students. This year marks the fifth consecutive year of the annual “Day at the Airport” program in partnership with PVUSD. Since 2022, more than 2,000 fourth-grade students have had the opportunity to experience aviation firsthand through interactive demonstrations and behind-the-scenes activities hosted by local aviation businesses, pilots, maintenance crews, and volunteer organizations. Students have explored law-enforcement drone operations, learned about emerging electric aircraft technology, watched parachute-packing demonstrations, and even experienced a working wind tunnel.
These programs are about much more than aviation. They are about inspiring curiosity, creating opportunities, and showing young people that exciting career paths and possibilities exist right here in Watsonville. At the same time, our airport continues looking toward the future. Watsonville Municipal Airport is helping position our community as a leader in emerging aviation technologies and clean-energy transportation. In partnership with nearby airports, Watsonville is exploring opportunities connected to Electric Vertical Take Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft and next-generation aviation infrastructure. These efforts have the potential to support innovation, strengthen workforce development, and create new economic opportunities for our region.
Community engagement remains at the center of everything the airport does. One of the biggest examples is the airport’s annual Fire in the Sky Open House celebration, returning Saturday, July 4, 2026. Every year, thousands of residents and visitors gather at the airport to experience everything the airport has to offer. This year’s event will feature aircraft displays, demonstrations, music, food, family activities, and a Kidz Zone, all culminating in an exciting fireworks show to close out the evening commemorating our nation’s 250th anniversary.
As City Manager Tamara Vides shared, “Our airport offers the perfect venue for the citizens and community to come together to recognize the value of our airport while celebrating our independence. The annual Fire in the Sky Open House continues to be an exciting opportunity for residents and visitors to experience Watsonville’s airport and what it has to offer.”
I am proud of the role our airport continues to play in supporting education, innovation, and community connection here in Watsonville. Whether introducing students to new career opportunities, supporting emerging technologies, or creating memorable experiences for families, our airport continues proving that it is far more than aviation infrastructure. It is an important community asset that helps shape the future of
Watsonville.
