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Duluth Air Show organizers outline STEM outreach, highlight awards and economic impact
Summary
Kern and Company presented the Duluth Air & Aviation Expo’s STEM programming, year-round operations, recent Air Spectacular free event with the Canadian Snowbirds and technology pilots such as autonomous buoys and a weather-balloon program for county schools.
Producers of the Duluth Air & Aviation Expo on Feb. 3 briefed the St. Louis County Board on the event’s year‑round work, STEM outreach and recent aviation initiatives that organizers say generate tourism and community benefits.
Lindsey Kern and Ryan Kern of Kern and Company described the Duluth Air & Aviation Expo as an annual, ticketed event held at Duluth International Airport that draws approximately 50,000 spectators over a weekend. Lindsey Kern said the show’s organizers have “eclipsed the $1,000,000 mark giving back to our local organizations” and reported that in 2024 the event returned about $93,000 to roughly 63 organizations; she also said the event’s annual economic impact is about $15 million and that in 2024 the combined effect of multiple aviation events reached $20 million.
Kern and Company said the 2025 show will be held over the Fourth of July weekend (July 5–6) and emphasized year-round engagement with schools and community partners. Organizers described a weather-balloon program that serves St. Louis County schools with cameras and radios for in‑class experiments, targeted at upper‑elementary and middle‑school grades. Lindsey Kern said the program belongs to St. Louis County schools only and that organizers have not declined any school in the county that has asked to participate.
Ryan Kern described innovation pilots at the air show, including autonomous buoys deployed to mark protected waterspace for over‑water demonstrations. Kern said the autonomous buoys allowed organizers to avoid closing shipping channels and reduced permitting burden on the U.S. Coast Guard. The buoy system received recognition from the International Council of Air Shows, and Kern said the show is “the most award winning air show in the world” by that council’s measure.
Commissioners praised the program’s STEM outreach and the hands‑on weather‑balloon opportunities for students; several commissioners thanked organizers for tying volunteer and donation programs to local nonprofit partners that rely on the event for revenue.
Organizers asked county officials to continue partnership on outreach and educational programming and offered to coordinate with schools and county departments on any district-specific activities.
