BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho National Guard will host Gowen Thunder on August 28-29 in 2021.
Today the Idaho National Guard announced the combination of military and civilian performances with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds highlighting the lineup.
"That's a big deal to get the Thunderbirds, but I'll tell you the video we showed at the beginning gets your heart pumping to see all of those acts," said Col. Shannon Smith, the commander of the 124th Fighter Wing.
Other acts include Boise's own Mustang High Flight Aerobatics and the P-51 Mustang, the Brian Wursten's Air Show, the Franklin's Flying Circus, Misty Blues female parachute team and the Idaho National Guard.
The Idaho National Guard made this announcement a year in advance to give people hope during the pandemic, but also to put out the word to potential sponsors in the community.
"We want to put on a show here at Gowen Field that surpasses anything anybody has seen in a long time," said Kevin Ireland, who puts together these types of shows. "With your help, we can make that happen."
The Idaho National Guard will host this free event to connect with the community and be transparent, allowing them to show the public what the guard does daily.
Gowen Thunder will be the second airshow the guard has hosted in the last 20 years, in 2017 around 120,000 people showed up during the weekend.
The Idaho National Guard is also partnering with Boise State University to promote STEM, science, technology, engineering, and math during Gowen Thunder.
Col. Shannon Smith, an A-10 Warthog pilot, looks forward to sharing his knowledge and passion for flying to get kids excited about aviation.
"That opportunity to reconnect on why you serve, then having this opportunity to do extraordinary things and share that," said Smith. "It's good especially when it is with kids,"
If you are interested in learning more about Gowen Thunder, here is a link to the Facebook page that will provide updates over the next year.
