Announcing Run the Runways: Floyd Bennett Field Birthday Bash! on Saturday, May 3rd
Two-mile fun run and family activities will celebrate the legacy and future of New York City’s first municipal airport
Floyd Bennett Field, the first municipal airport of New York City, was once the site of record breaking flights during the golden age of burgeoning aviation. Today it is a 1,300-acre park within Gateway National Recreation Area, our country’s 4th most visited national park site, that’s brimming with wide open spaces, grasslands, migratory birds, and picturesque shorelines on Jamaica Bay – the “jewel” of New York City.
Join Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy (JBRPC) on Saturday, May 3rd for Run the Runways: Floyd Bennett Field’s Birthday Bash!, a two-mile fun run followed by an afternoon of activities for the whole family.
About the Event: Honoring the Past, Present, and Future of Floyd Bennett Field
Run the Runways is a free event celebrating Floyd Bennett Field through movement and adventure on the occasion of the airfield’s dedication in May 1931. People of all ages are invited to join the 2-mile fun run (or walk) on historic runways once used by aviation legends like Amelia Earhart, Howard Hughes, Wiley Post, Jackie Cochran, and others. The afternoon will include picnicking (BYO picnic; we’ll have tables), a daytime DJ dance party, lawn games, photo opportunities (including with a surprise historic aviator!), and arts and crafts – including a giant group birthday card for Floyd Bennett Field and the opportunity for young aviators to make their own wings for ‘flight’ across the Hangar Lawn.
Run the Runways will also provide a deeper look into the rich history and exciting future of Floyd Bennett Field. Free Circuit shuttles will take participants from activities on Hangar Lawn to a scavenger hunt at Hangar B, which houses a beautifully curated aircraft collection covering 70 years of aviation history, with a focus on the glamorous era of early aviation when records were set and broken from Floyd Bennett Field. Volunteers from the Historic Aircraft Restoration Project (H.A.R.P.) will also be on hand to offer tours and answer questions.
Hangars 3 & 4, where a rehabilitation and adaptive reuse project is underway, will have its doors open for a sneak-peek of things to come – community programming and events, food and beverage service and other visitor amenities, and a workforce development and tech accelerator focused on nature-based solutions.
More to Know: Important Details of the Event
Run the Runways welcomes families, fitness lovers, aviation buffs, history enthusiasts, and everyone who enjoys the outdoors to find a new way to engage with the historic open spaces at Floyd Bennett Field. Join us!
What: Run the Runways: Floyd Bennett Field’s Birthday Bash!
When: 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM (Runners should arrive at 10:00 AM)
Where: Floyd Bennett Field, 3159 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11234 (Vehicle entrance to park is located at Flatbush Ave and Aviation Road)
General event registration is not required. To take part in the fun run, RSVP on Eventbrite.
This event is organized in partnership with the National Park Service, Historic Aircraft Restoration Project (H.A.R.P.), Circuit, Millennium Development, National Parks Conservation Association, Rockaway Track Club, and Runway Green.
JBRPC organizes and promotes a bevy of free events that involve local residents and visitors alike in recreation, history, ecology, and education at parks across Jamaica Bay and Rockaway, including Floyd Bennett Field. Run the Runways follows the Floyd Bennett Revealed! series and the 2024 Floyd Bennett Field! Public Arts Festival in revitalizing the park. The 2024 Public Arts Festival drew 1,600 people to see digital artwork projections on Hangars 3 & 4 and enjoy daytime family activities, food & maker markets, and historic site tours.
You can find more events at JBRPC.org/events.