Park & Ride

Parking and Ride lots open at 7:00 a.m.
Air Show Gates open at 8:00 a.m. 
Flying starts at 10:00 a.m. 
Opening Ceremony: 10:25 a.m. 
Show closes: 5:00 p.m. 
Last Bus Leaves Kirtland: 7:00 p.m. 

Important: This is a rideshare event! Park at designated lots and hop on a bus to the base. CARPOOL to help reduce traffic!
- Isleta Ampitheater/Mesa Del Sol
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Gibson)
- Gateway Center (Gibson)
- Bullhead Memorial Park

Pedestrian Entrance 
- FAA/ACE Dirt Parking Lot (Sunport BLVD and Girard BLVD on Lowry St.)
The pedestrian gate is located on Lowry St. just East of this parking lot and is a short walk to the Air Show festivities! 

Park & Ride Lots

The Air Fiesta is FREE and Open to the public! 
Use one of the lots below to Park & Ride onto base,
or you can use the Pedestrian access gate on Lowry St. 

Already have base access? Get all your parking and practice day details here

Unsure of what you can bring? Check out our FAQ's

Handicap & Premium Parking

Premium Parking: Guests that purchased premium seating/parking will enter through the Carlisle Gate via Gibson Blvd. This parking is reserved for guests who have pre-purchased premium parking. NO premium tickets will be sold at the gate.
Do not enter this line unless you already have a premium ticket. Vehicles without valid tickets will be turned away and redirected. Please have your ticket ready to display upon arrival to help keep traffic flowing smoothly. 

For more information on Premium seating, visit Kirtland Air Show 2025 | Kirtland Force Support

Handicap Parking: Guests with valid handicap placards will be directed to designated handicap parking through the Carlisle Gate, accessible from Gibson Blvd. To use this entrance and parking area, you must have a  valid handicap placard that is visibly displayed in your vehicle. 

Do not enter this line or attempt to use this gate without a valid, visibly displayed handicap placard. Vehicles without proper identification will be turned away and redirected. Thank you for helping us keep traffic moving by using the correct parking area. 

Isleta Ampitheater Parking Lot

The Isleta/Mesa Del Sol Park and Ride lot is located at the Isleta Ampitheater at the corner of University BLVD SE and Bobby Foster Rd SE and buses will pick up and drop off at the NORTH side of the parking lot and return to the same location. 

Lots open at 7:00 a.m. 
Buses will start running just before the gates for the Air Show open at 8:00 a.m. 

Buses will run at regular intervals throughout the day; exact times will depend on traffic flow. 

Pedestrian Gate at FAA/ACE Parking Lot

The FAA/ACE Parking lot is a large dirt lot off of Gibson BLVD at the corner of Sunport Blvd and Girard Blvd. There is NO bus pickup for this lot. This parking lot is for pedestrian access. There is an approx. 0.6 mile 15-20 minute walk from this parking lot onto the base for the Air Show. You will walk through the pedestrian gate on Lowry St.  

Vehicle parking (YELLOW route on map): Enter from Gibson Blvd. to Girard Blvd and enter the parking lot from the SOUTH side. 

RIDE SHARE/UBER/LIFT (RED route on map): Ride Share drop-off will enter the parking area off Girard Blvd. from Gibson Blvd. Dropoff for ridesharing is at the SOUTHEAST corner of the parking lot.

Pedestrian Gate (GREEN route on map): Located at the SOUTHEAST corner of this parking lot on Lowry St. There is an approx. 0.6 mile 15-20 minute walk from this parking lot onto the base for the Air Show through the pedestrian gate. 

BIKES: Bicycles are not permitted to enter the installation through the pedestrian gate. Riders may secure their bicycles outside the perimeter fence at their own risk, on the chain-link fence. A parking attendant will be at this entry point. 

Gateway Center Parking Lot

Gateway Center Parking Lots are located at 5400 Gibson Blvd SE. The shuttle pickup for this parking lot is on Veteran's Memorial Loop, just SOUTH of the Veteran's Affairs campus. It is an approx. 0.6 mile 15-20 minute walk to the shuttle pickup from the Gateway Parking lots. 

The red lots are not available for parking. The yellow lines are traffic routes, the green lines are pedestrian routes.

VA - Veteran Affairs Medical Parking Lot

The VA Park & Ride is located at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center on Gibson Blvd. There are four designated lots open to event attendees, accessible via San Pedro Dr. These lots range from approx. 0.07 - 0.4 miles walking distance to the bus pickup spot, located on the SOUTH corner of Veteran's Memorial Loop. 

The yellow lines indicate vehicle traffic routes. The green lines indicate pedestrian walking routes. Follow the green pedestrian route to the bus pickup location, and please allow a few extra minutes for the walk. Shuttles will run continuously to and from the event entrance to this location throughout the day. 

U.S. Bullhead Memorial Parking Lot

The USS Bullhead Memorial Parking Lot is accessible via San Pedro Dr. The walk from these lots to the bus pick-up location is 0.28 miles - 0.75 miles depending on which lot you park in. Shuttles will pick up from the SOUTH end of the Veterans Affairs campus on Veterans Memorial Loop. 

Exit Traffic Notice (Orange): Vehicles parked in this area will be allowed to exit onto Ridgecrest Dr. between 1pm and 9pm ONLY. 

Please plan accordingly and allow time for walking to this bus pickup location. Buses will run continuously to and from the event entrance to the VA pickup throughout the day. 

The yellow lines indicate vehicle traffic routes. The green lines indicate pedestrian walking routes.