Lakeville Fly-In Breakfast draws thousands with food, planes
LAKEVILLE, Minn. – Thousands of hungry plane enthusiasts took their breakfast plans to Lakeville's Airlake Airport Sunday, in hopes of getting a close-up look at history.
The event, which this year kicks off the city's annual Pan-O-Prog celebration, serves as a benefit to the Lakeville Lions Club. In its 11th year, this year's fly-in commemorated its first year in a new hangar on the airport's south side. With the new space came the chance to feed even more people.
"You can't find it in a book how to serve 2,500 people remotely in an airport hangar," said Paul Jacobus of Lakeville Lions. "It's over 3,800 sausage links. Four hundred pounds of pancake mix. Four hundred pounds of liquid eggs, and dozens and dozens and dozens of donuts."
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Sunday's celebration filled the hangar to its limits.
"I think we just want to watch the planes, see how close we can get to them," said Josh Tice of Farmington, who came to the event with his two sons and their grandfather.
Sunday's breakfast boasted planes from World War Two, including a traveling exhibit highlighting the lives and legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen.
"It's amazing," said Rick Doaust of Lakeville. "Seeing how big they were, I just love the roar of their engine. Completely different from our modern-day planes."
While Sunday's breakfast ended just before lunchtime, the Red Tail exhibit will remain open for free until Monday at 3 p.m.
"It's a way to make sure that these folks are never forgotten and the barriers that they broke down to be part of the military," Jacobus said. "As time goes on, this exhibit is designed to make sure people learn about the experience they went through – that they too themselves can rise above and overcome any challenges that come their way."
