LOWER TOWNSHIP, N.J. — The Naval Air Station Wildwood (NASW) Aviation Museum will host its annual Wings & Things Arts & Crafts Festival featuring Hot Rods at the Hangar on Saturday, June 28, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The event will take place inside the museum’s historic World War II hangar at Cape May Airport, offering visitors a full day of family-friendly activities that combine aviation history with local art, live entertainment, and vintage automobiles.
The festival will include live music by Radio Revolution, hands-on craft activities for adults and children, model airplane workshops, face painting, military vehicles, a 9/11 Fire Truck, RC car racing, race car simulators, and war gaming hosted by the South Jersey Gamers Association. Animal rescue organization Funny Farm Rescue will also be on-site with a variety of animals.
Aviation enthusiasts can explore more than 26 historic aircraft on display, including NASW’s newest addition, an AV-8B+ Harrier II on loan from the National Naval Aviation Museum. Weather permitting, Jeff Chorman is scheduled to make a special fly-in appearance piloting his T-28 Trojan.
Food and crafts draw crowds
Car enthusiasts will have the opportunity to view nearly 100 vintage and modern vehicles at Hot Rods at the Hangar. Guests can sample food from local vendors, including Hit the Road Jack, El Pueblo Taqueria, and Poppin’ Bob, while the Beer & Wine Garden offers beverages for adult attendees.
Inside the hangar, local artisans and vendors will showcase handmade goods such as jewelry, artwork, photography, and pottery. The festival also includes a special exhibit featuring student artwork from the Soarin’ High Art Contest, which displays K–12 students’ creative works inspired by the theme “Things That Fly.”
This year’s festival introduces The Longest Yarn, a new traveling exhibit commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day. The 265-foot-long wool tapestry was knitted and crocheted by volunteers worldwide, depicting the events of June 6, 1944, and the Allied liberation of France. Created under the guidance of historians, it debuted in Carentan, France, in 2024 and will remain on display at NASW through Labor Day.
Supporting aviation history
Admission to the festival includes access to the museum’s permanent exhibits, which highlight the history of Naval Air Station Wildwood and honor the 42 aviators who lost their lives during training operations between 1943 and 1945.
The Wings & Things Arts & Crafts Festival is supported in part by funding from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, and Cape May County Division of Culture and Heritage.
The Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum is located inside Hangar #1 at Cape May Airport at 500 Forrestal Road. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Wings & Things festival promises a full day of historic aircraft, classic cars, and community crafts inside NASW’s landmark WWII hangar.
