Sky High Expectations For First Beverly Warrior Weekend

BEVERLY, MA — Two days of military demonstrations and tributes in Beverly will now include Apache helicopters, an Air Force mini-jet and large M777 howitzers from the U.S. Army as part of the first Warrior Weekend set for Saturday and Sunday at Beverly High School.

North Shore residents are advised to expect the symbols of military might traveling through the region to and from the festival, as well as soaring overhead, starting Friday as part of the event designed to provide an appreciation for veterans in advance of Memorial Day Weekend.

Beverly Veterans Agent David Perinchief told Patch that he envisions Warrior Weekend becoming a "Mini Fleet Week" on the North Shore similar to the annual event that draws thousands of military personnel and visitors to New York City each spring.

"The hope as we continue to build it is to attract more city vendors, bring in the skydive teams and more events to generate more people coming year after year," Perinchief told Patch. "The goal over the next five years is to get more people traveling to Beverly for the event so we can benefit more veterans in the region and benefit more families."

Beyond the apparatus designed to draw crowds to Beverly High School there will also be informational stations set up for veterans on benefits and support services they are eligible for, including expanding benefits now available under the federal Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act (PACT Act).

Perinchief told Patch the latest apparatus added to the event includes a 100-foot-by-60-foot U.S. Marine Corps trailer that people can walk through, to go along with the planned U.S. Coast Guard boat and interactive trailer, rescue drones, bomb trucks, and Sherman and Chappie tanks.

There were will re-enactments representing World War II, the Korean War and the Revolutionary War, as well as a Rainforest reptile show, a military martial arts training exhibition, a military dive team demonstration, ROTC competitions, axe throwing (18+), and a Touch-A-Truck event for children on Sunday.

Military personnel and recruiters will also be on hand for those interested in a career in service, as well as for families of those interested in joining a branch of military service to ask questions and learn more about exactly what that entails.

Food vendors will also be on hand for the two days that will go on rain or shine.

Those coming to the event are asked to park at the Cummings Center at Balch Street with the high school lots reserved for vendors and those with accessibility challenges.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)