September 26-27, 2026
California International Airshow Salinas (45th Annual)
The California International Airshow Salinas runs Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September 2026 at Salinas Municipal Airport, with the USAF Thunderbirds headlining. Gates open at 9:00 a.m. both days and flying starts at roughly 11:30 a.m. Parking is $30. The thing most likely to spoil your morning is not the schedule but the bag policy — it is an airport, the rules are federal, and they are stricter than most people expect.
When
September 26-27, 2026
- Saturday, September 26 — Gates 9:00 a.m.; flying from about 11:30 a.m.
- Sunday, September 27 — Gates 9:00 a.m.; flying from about 11:30 a.m.
Hours as published by the organiser.
Everything else in September 2026 →Where
Where this listing comes from
The date, venue and category above were taken from these published sources. If one of them has changed, the organizer's own page wins.
The bag and cooler rules are the ones that catch people
No coolers of any kind. Not small ones, not soft ones — the organisers are explicit that this is dictated by FAA and Homeland Security requirements rather than by the airshow, so there is no arguing it at the gate.
A clear bag policy applies: one clear bag no larger than 12x6x12 inches, plus one small clutch or purse no larger than 4.5x8.5 inches, plus one-gallon freezer bags. Specifically prohibited are backpacks, binocular cases, oversized totes, standard purses and mesh bags. A standard purse being on the banned list is the detail that surprises people most.
Diaper bags, medically necessary items and cameras with cases are allowed as exceptions, but all of them are still subject to search. Pets are not allowed, and the organisers add a warning worth repeating: do not leave them in your vehicle, on an airfield apron in late September.
Getting there and parking
Parking is $30, on airport property close to the admission gates, entered from Skyway Boulevard and Airport Boulevard. Because the parking is on the field itself rather than off-site, the walk in is short — this is not an event where you park a mile away.
Accessible parking is in a designated area close to the admission gate. It requires a handicapped plate or tag, and the organisers ask that you notify staff on arrival rather than simply following the general traffic flow.
Who is flying in 2026
The USAF Thunderbirds headline. Also announced: Mark Peterson in an A-37 Dragonfly, Goulian Aerosports, Jason Somes in a MiG-17, and Greg Colyer in a T-33 Shooting Star — a bill weighted toward Cold War-era jets alongside the modern demonstration team.
The organisers note that performers are subject to change, which for airshows is more than boilerplate: military demonstration teams get pulled for operational reasons and weather closes acts on the day.
It is a fundraiser, not a commercial airshow
The airshow has run since 1981 and states that it has raised over nine million dollars for Central Coast charities. That is the point of it rather than a side effect, and it shapes the atmosphere — this is a long-standing community institution that happens to involve fast jets.
What has not been published
Ticket prices. The organisers sell through an external platform rather than listing prices on their own site, so no price appears here. Buy through the official site's ticket link rather than a resale listing.
A gate closing time and a full flying schedule. Gates open at 9:00 a.m. and flying begins around 11:30 a.m.; when each act performs, and when the day ends, are not published in advance.
Common questions
- What time is the airshow in Salinas?
- Gates open at 9:00 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday, and flying starts at approximately 11:30 a.m. The organisers do not publish a closing time or a full flying schedule in advance.
- Is there an air show in Salinas?
- Yes — the California International Airshow Salinas, held annually at Salinas Municipal Airport since 1981. The 2026 edition runs Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September.
- Will the Blue Angels be at the Salinas airshow?
- Not in 2026. The organisers have announced the USAF Thunderbirds as the 2026 headline act. Some third-party listings still show the Blue Angels for these dates — those are wrong for this year. Both teams have flown at Salinas over the show's history, but the 2026 bill is the Thunderbirds.
- Are any airshows cancelled in 2026?
- Not this one. The California International Airshow Salinas is scheduled for 26 and 27 September 2026 and the organisers are selling tickets. What does change at airshows is the flying: the organisers state that performers are subject to change, because military demonstration teams can be withdrawn for operational reasons and weather closes individual acts on the day. That is a different thing from the show being cancelled, and it is the far more likely outcome. We can only speak for Salinas — we do not track other airshows.
- Can I bring a cooler?
- No — no coolers of any kind. The organisers state this is required by the FAA and Homeland Security rather than being their own rule, so it is not negotiable at the gate.
- What bag can I bring?
- One clear bag no bigger than 12x6x12 inches, plus a small clutch no bigger than 4.5x8.5 inches, plus one-gallon freezer bags. Backpacks, binocular cases, oversized totes, standard purses and mesh bags are all prohibited.
- How much is parking?
- $30, on airport property close to the admission gates, entered from Skyway Boulevard and Airport Boulevard. Accessible parking sits near the gate and needs a handicapped plate or tag.
- Who is performing?
- The USAF Thunderbirds headline, with Mark Peterson in an A-37 Dragonfly, Goulian Aerosports, Jason Somes in a MiG-17 and Greg Colyer in a T-33 Shooting Star. Performers are subject to change.
- How much are tickets?
- Not published on the organisers' own site — tickets are sold through an external platform, so no price is listed here. Use the official ticket link rather than a resale site.
Also in September 2026
Monterey Car Week ran August 7–16 and reshapes traffic across both counties while it does. The Car Week section keeps the 2026 schedule, and the traffic, closures and parking guide covers road closures across the Peninsula, including what the Timber Fire has left behind on Highway 1 through Big Sur.