Four Days of Costumed Sky Parades, Circus Arts, and Street Performances Transform Issaquah, WA — August 13–16, 2026

ISSAQUAH, WA — Flying in this August, the street & skies above Issaquah will come alive as the Pacific Northwest has never seen. Aire Craft: Paragliding & Street Arts Festival will make its inaugural debut August 13–16, 2026 — a visionary four-day celebration blending high-flying aerial artistry with art and community. Activities will include street art, live performance, circus, interactive art, live painting, and a costumed paragliding sky parade flying through the sky! Acrobatic cows not included.

Inspired by France’s legendary Coupe Icare — one of the world’s most celebrated free-flight and arts festivals — Aire Craft is the first event of its kind in the United States. Attendees can expect 30+ flamboyantly costumed paragliding pilots launching from Poo Poo Point and soaring into downtown Issaquah during spectacular Sky Parades, surrounded by street performances, circus artists, international film screenings, and hands-on experiences from Issaquah’s creeks to peaks.

“ Aire Craft isn’t just a festival, it’s a collision of sky, street, circus, and community. We’re inviting spectators to step outside, look up, and experience something they’ve never seen before. Our goal is to create an unforgettable experience that inspires joy and wonder for generations to come.” — Mick Holsbeke, Founder Executive Producer, Aire Craft Festival

What to Expect during Aire Craft’s Four-Day Festival 

  • Thursday, August 13, kicks off with a costume-making atelier for pilots, mixed media art workshops, and a public film screening featuring the internationally renowned Flying Frenchies 
  • Friday, August 14, brings “Crosswinds,” artist roundtable discussions regarding street arts and creative placemaking in the PNW, plus an evening flying trapeze show downtown at the  SANCA’S Flying Trapeze Rig featuring the Emerald City Flyers. 
  • On Saturday and Sunday, the weekend crescendos with street arts along Rainier Trail, family art-making activities, a Sky Parade each day, an evening circus performance at the Issaquah Community Center, and a beautiful closing ceremony.

The festival is co-produced by Clown Garage & Culture Tug in partnership with Northwest Paragliding School, Visit Issaquah, and The City of Issaquah with support from an all-star coalition of local and regional collaborators. 

Be Part of It

Aire Craft: Paragliding & Street Arts Festival takes place August 13–16, 2026 in Issaquah, Washington. Additional festival information, ticket info, pilot registration, and volunteer opportunities coming soon!  Whether you’re a longtime Issaquah local or discovering the Cascade foothills for the first time, this is a moment you won’t want to miss.

To learn more, visit airecraftfest.com or follow us on Instagram @AireCraftFest and subscribe to our newsletter.