Eagle Flight Days returns this weekend

After a year of pandemic isolation, the Eagle community deserves the opportunity to throw itself a party. That’s what Flight Days 2021 is all about.

For decades, Flight Days has been the party Eagle throws for itself and the fun has weathered the test of time. Think of it as a community-wide block party as valley residents gather at Eagle Town Park to celebrate all that is best about small mountain town life.

“It’s wonderful to have Flight Days back,” said Eagle Special Events Manager Brian Hall. “It took a lot to pull it together with such short notice.”

Hall isn’t alone in making that observation. COVID-19 restrictions were still in place this spring when planning traditionally launches for the valley’s summer events. Luckily, however, Flight Days was able to push some of the arrangements that were made, and then canceled in 2020 — like a visit from the 101st Army Band, for example.

The 101st Army Band, a unit of the Colorado Army National Guard, is now in its 80th year. The band features 35 citizen-soldiers whose occupations range from student to teacher to computer programmer to waiter.

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The band members attend from as far away as Montrose and Greeley to train intensively every month in Aurora. The mission of the 101st is to provide ceremonial music and musical entertainment on behalf of the state of Colorado and the United States Army. Colorado’s only Army band, the 101st features a variety of patriotic, jazz, popular, country, classical, rock and dixieland music performed by seven different ensembles.

The entire band will perform a Friday evening concert, march in the Flight Days parade and break out into their rock, Dixieland jazz and country ensembles to entertain Flight Days attendees on Saturday. The band’s participation is a great reflection of this year’s Flight Days theme — A Salute to Veterans and First Responders.

Along with the 101st Army Band, Flight Days entertainment will include music by Eagle Valley favorites Rewind, The Altitones and The Evolution Live. Vendors will circle town park and special contests and activities will round out the Flight Days schedule.

Flight Days wouldn’t happen without help from community volunteers, the Eagle Lions Club and town and county crews, Hall noted.

“It’s a monumental task to pull together this day of fun, and it is going to be fun. I think we can all use it,” Hall said.

Friday, June 25

4 p.m. — Inflatable carnival opens

5 p.m. — Castle Peak Veterinary Service Pet Show, Baby Contest

5:30 p.m. — 101st Army Band concert

7:30 p.m. — Music by Rewind

Saturday, June 26

7 a.m. — Flight Days 5K

7:30 a.m. — Eagle Lions Club pancake breakfast

10 a.m. — Parade down Broadway

11 a.m. — Inflatable carnival opens

Horseshoe tournament

2 p.m. — Music by Rock of Ages (101st Army Band ensemble)

3:15 p.m. — Music by Dixieland Comes Alive (101st Army Band ensemble)

4:30 p.m. — Music by American Country (101st Army Band ensemble)

6 p.m. — Music by the Altitones

8:30 p.m. — Music by The Evolution Live

For more Flight Days schedule information visit EagleOutside.com.