2026 Wings Over Batavia Crowd
Press release/provided photos
Wings Over Batavia announced that its attendance for the 2026 show broke its previous record set in 2025, as more than 18,000 gathered at Batavia Airport for the two-day show earlier in September. Since the show formed in 2023, attendance has increased every year and WOB has established itself as the premier annual community celebration for air show enthusiasts and families across Western New York.
“The Wings Over Batavia Airshow is deeply grateful for the tremendous support we continue to receive from the community each year,” said Doreen Hillard and Pete Zeliff, founders of the event. “A production of this magnitude requires scores of dedicated volunteers, generous sponsors, and community support, and every year we are blessed to have an abundance of all of these.”
“Much of the show’s success can be attributed to our commitment to making it a family-friendly event. You would be hard-pressed to find an event that is equally loved by devout, thrill-seeking adrenaline junkies as well as star-struck children who experience the power and precision of these technological aeronautic marvels for the first time. Wings Over Batavia has a unique way of bringing smiles to all of their faces,” Doreen and Pete added.
The 2026 WOB show featured a children’s Discovery Zone unrivaled by other air shows across the county. The Discovery Zone connected children with pilots and top aviation companies and organizations from around the country to learn about their aircraft and professions. A scavenger hunt-styled Photo Mission challenged kids to take aviation themed selfies, and for the first time at WOB, kids were introduced to drone soccer, which earned rave reviews.
“We wanted to create a meaningful and memorable experience for the kids to have fun, but to also introduce them to the science and wonders of aviation, and I think we accomplished that,” said Zeliff, a longtime pilot and aviation enthusiast.
STEM Exhibit
2026 WINGS OVER BATAVIA, BY THE NUMBERS:
· 18,000: New attendance record set, up from 15,000 in its first year in 2023.
· 5,000: Children attendees, ages 12 and under
· 29: Number of states + Canada represented in this year’s crowd
· 4,176: Number of miles traveled by WOB’s Hawaiian patron
· 400: Number of volunteers needed for the 2026 WOB, many of whom have worked for WOB since 2023
· 85: Age of WOB’s oldest volunteer
· 5: Age of WOB’s youngest volunteer