DeKalb-Peachtree Airport's Good Neighbor Day Air Show is coming back after a one-year construction hiatus, and DeKalb County commissioners have committed $275,000 to make it happen.
The county-owned airport, located on Airport Road in Chamblee just south of Dunwoody and Brookhaven, will host the show on Saturday, September 19, with gates open from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. The expanded format marks the event's first evening program, adding a night airshow, drone light show, and fireworks after the traditional afternoon aerial demonstrations.
"We are excited to bring back our air show," PDK Airport Director Hunter Hines said in a July 16 announcement. "Due to airport construction, we were unable to hold the show last year. Good Neighbor Day has become an Atlanta tradition and the longest-running air show in the region."
County spending and construction context
The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners approved a sole-source contract on May 26, awarding Inspire Aviation Foundation up to $275,000 for planning, coordination, and aviation-related event services for the 2026 show. A sole-source contract bypasses competitive bidding. The resolution, numbered 2026-0770, was part of the same meeting where commissioners approved $600,880 in county funds for ongoing PDK infrastructure work, including perimeter fencing replacement and taxiway rehabilitation.
That infrastructure work helps explain the gap. Airport construction forced the cancellation of the 2025 show and previously interrupted the event before its 2024 return. County records do not specify which construction project forced the 2025 cancellation.
New format: STEM Expo, night show
The 2026 event will feature a daytime STEM Expo and static aircraft displays alongside the traditional air show performances. The evening program is new. Previous Good Neighbor Day events ran during afternoon hours only; the 2024 show, for example, ran from noon to 5 p.m. with free admission and $20 parking.
Admission pricing for the September 19 event has not been announced. The official event website is pdkairshow.org.
Four decades of history
PDK launched the Good Neighbor Day Air Show in the early 1980s. The airport's air show history stretches further back: the U.S. Navy Blue Angels performed at the site in 1947, flying Grumman F-8F Bearcats. The county announcement said the 2026 edition will celebrate America's 250th anniversary.
Hines said the goal is to expand aerial programming and introduce a dedicated STEM Expo "to inspire students, young professionals, and families."
No public comment deadline or follow-up meeting related to the air show has been announced. Residents can find updates at pdkairshow.org.
