Dayton’s National Park to celebrate centennial of Air Races

Aviation Trail
Sep 22, 2024
3 min read

Updated: Sep 28, 2024

Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the International Air Races - Oct. 5, 2024:

NPS News Release Date: September 20, 2024

DAYTON, Ohio — Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park will host an event at the Huffman Prairie to commemorate the International Air Races and aviation history in Dayton.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the 1924 International Air Races held in Dayton, Ohio. The 1920s saw a rapid growth in aviation; airplanes had become faster, more reliable, and more agile than ever before. The Air Races were a showcase of all the latest advances in airplane design in both the military and civilian realms with nine different competitions that took place over three days. The Pulitzer Trophy race was the final and most prominent race. As a First Lieutenant, Harry Mills won the 1924 Pulitzer Trophy with an average speed of 216.72 mph.

Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park will be commemorating the centennial of the 1924 International Air Races on October 5, 2024, with an event at the Huffman Prairie. The public is invited to come together to build a toy building brick mosaic honoring the centennial. There will be two build sessions that day and each participant will assist with building a segment of the larger mosaic. The morning build session will begin at 9:00 a.m. and the afternoon session will begin at 1:00 p.m. As the pieces come together, they will reveal a recreation of the 1924 Slipstream Monthly aviation magazine cover which advertised the Air Races.

Once complete, this mosaic will be displayed in the Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center, serving as a reminder of the historic air races and the importance of building a future together.

In the Dayton region, the invention of the airplane led to a legacy of continued aviation development that established the United States as a world leader in military, commercial aircraft, and space vehicles. The park is the gateway to the story of aviation from the Wright brothers to early technological advances featured at the Air Races to the current innovation at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

Dayton Aviation Heritage NHP is partnering with Brixilated for this event, whose mission is to harness the power of play to change the world. Building together encourages creativity, communication, and empathy; skills that encourage a healthy community. Join us to learn more about the 1924 International Air Races, aviation history in Dayton, and to build a unique mosaic together.

The build event will be located near the historic Huffman Prairie along Hebble Creek Rd. on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base on Saturday, October 5, 2024. This event is free, but space is limited so reservations are required.

Please email Jacquelyn Strey at jacquelyn@brixilated.com to reserve your spot.

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Visit this National Park Service link for a great article about the 1924 races (with photos):

https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/the-pulitzer-trophy-and-national-air-races-at-wilbur-wright-field.htm

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Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park preserves and interprets the history and legacies of the Wright Brothers and Paul Laurence Dunbar. Learn more about these extraordinary men and the story of the park when you explore www.nps.gov/daav or find us on social media at facebook.com/DaytonAviationNPS, and @DaytonAviationNHP on Instagram.