Saturday’s festivities will include live music and dancing, a costume contest, trivia with prizes, and a game lounge. Guests will have the opportunity to enter both the Lockheed AC-130A Spectre gunship Azrael and the Cougar CAT II A1 MRAP (Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected) vehicle. Other opportunities include looking inside a USAF Thunderbirds General Dynamics F-16A Fighting Falcon and taking a photo with a section of the Berlin Wall. An hors d’oeuvres buffet will be provided, and a selection of adult beverages will be available for purchase at cash bars in the Villain Parlor.
Organizers view the series as a productive way to entice returnees and newcomers.
“A lot of museums around the country have found success in using these kinds of events as fundraisers,” said Mary Fessler, director, marketing and communication, for the Air Force Museum Foundation. “The After Dark series is meant to attract people who maybe haven’t been to the museum in a while or at all. It also (allows) an exclusive opportunity to see the museum when it’s less crowded. We are purposefully trying to attract our core audience who wants to see the aircrafts up close and personal, which they can’t do during the day, but also people who might not otherwise be here, which is why we have a variety of themes.”
Previous themes include Bombers & Brews, Swing the Night Away and Spies & Superheroes. Others have been tied to certain exhibits. Organizers acknowledge Villains Ball is an outside-the-box theme but are hopeful the community is receptive to its uniqueness.
“Tentatively we plan to host Bombers & Brews and Swing the Night Away every year because they’re so popular,” Fessler said. “We’ll plan to have two others throughout the year that will have alternating themes. Villains Ball does not tie into a specific exhibit but our events team thought it would be an interesting theme to try. We’ve been trying to give people (costume) ideas on social media. We’ve noticed the trend that people like to dress up.”
Credit: Tom Gilliam
Credit: Tom Gilliam
Looking ahead, After Dark: Space Camp will take place Sept. 7 and After Dark: Bombers & Brews is slated for Nov. 2.
Founded in 1960, the Air Force Museum Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that raises funds for and awareness in support of the National Museum of the United States Air Force. To date, the foundation has raised nearly $100 million to support the museum, including funding 94% of the cost of construction of the museum’s public facilities.
“This museum is very vibrant and dynamic,” Fessler said. “It’s always changing. The museum has recognized the need to attract a broader audience and the foundation is embracing that as well. After Dark is a great fundraising opportunity that keeps the museum having the ability to provide educational opportunities for young children. We want people to come back to the museum again and again instead of once every 10 years.”
HOW TO GO
What: After Dark: Villains Ball
Where: National Museum of the United States Air Force, 1100 Spaatz St., Dayton
When: 6-10 p.m. Saturday, April 20. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
Tickets: $40. A limited number of tickets will be available for purchase at the door (legal ID required).
More info: afmuseum.com/events/after-dark-events
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