Don’t be surprised by the sounds of jets overhead this weekend. It’s the Vero Beach Air Show featuring the U.S. Navy Blue Angels. The Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Team will perform their jaw-dropping, heart-pounding maneuvers in their Super Hornet jets. See loops, rolls and bomb bursts in close formation for the classic aerobatic routine in T-6 Texans. An F-16 Viper Demonstration Team will show precision aerial maneuvers of the Fighting Falcons. The Black Daggers – a U.S. Army Special Operations Command Parachute Demonstration Team – will free fall for about 2 miles and still maintain precision in landing. There will also be a variety of civilian aviators performing, including Franklin’s Flying Circus featuring Kyle Franklin, who learned to fly when he was 8 years old and performed his first “wingwalk” when he was 14 before becoming a stuntman at age 17. Visitors will be able to enjoy military and civilian aircraft displays. There will be 30 food trucks offering a variety of food and beverages for sale. It’s a family-friendly event with bounce houses and live music by Collins & Company. Be sure to bring your cameras, because members of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Team will make themselves available for photo ops and to sign autographs. No backpacks, pets, coolers or weapons allowed on the event grounds. The Vero Beach Air Show will also have a special night airshow, its first ever. Gates for the night show open 6 p.m. on Friday, April 29 at 3060 Airport West Dr., Vero Beach. Tickets for the night show are $15, advance online sales only. Parking is free. The main show runs Saturday, April 30 and Sunday, May 1 with gates opening at 9 a.m. Tickets for the main show range from $10 to $125. Proceeds benefit the Veterans Council of Indian River County and Exchange Clubs of Indian River County, the Treasure Coast and Vero Beach. Parking is $10 per car. Discounted tickets available for military service members both active duty and veterans. Bring your ID to the Victory Center in the Indian River Mall or to the SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce. The Vero Beach Air Show will be held at 3400 Cherokee Dr., Vero Beach. For more information, visit VeroAirShow.com.
Children take the focus Saturday at the Vero Beach Museum of Art. The museum will present the Children’s Art Festival, where children can get involved with the “Vero Collects” exhibit, play art hunt games, and enjoy artsy activities in the museum’s school studios. There will also be music and dance performed by area youth groups. To make it all even more fun, the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra will perform its “Once Upon an Orchestra” program. The entire festival runs 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and it’s free. The “Once Upon an Orchestra” program begins at 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. The Vero Beach Museum of Art is at 3001 Riverside Park Dr. For more information, call 772-231-0707 or visit VBMuseum.org.
If you feel like taking a little ride north, consider heading to the Henegar Center in Melbourne to see Elton John and Tim Rice’s “Aida: The Timeless Love Story.” The musical tells the story of Aida, a Nubian princess abducted from her country, Amneris, an Egyptian princess, and Radames, whom they both love. The musical won the 2000 Tony Award for best original musical score. The Henegar has been gaining much acclaim for the quality of its shows. Tickets start at $32. The Henegar is at 625 E. New Haven Ave. Call 321-723-8698 or visit Henegar.org.
The Comedy Zone at Riverside Theatre brings headliner Gains Kelly and feature act Eric Grady to town this weekend. Kelly takes advantage of his Southern drawl and blue-collar status to deliver relatable humor. He was a finalist in the Gulf South Comedy Challenge in New Orleans and has been on the road for 15 years. Grady also comes from the south, where he’d be called a “tall drink of water.” He moved to New York City, where he estimates that he performed about 2,000 shows in two years. He currently lives in Los Angeles. The shows begin 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Friday, April 29 and Saturday, April 30. Tickets are $23. Live in the Loop presents free concerts before the shows with Souljam on Friday, April 29 and the Jacks Band on Saturday, April 30. Riverside Theatre is at 3250 Riverside Park Dr., Vero Beach. Call 772-231-6990 or visit RiversideTheatre.com.