Coverage, stories, and moments from Huntsville's inaugural space festival.
Festival Highlight
On Apollo Day, July 20, the sky over Big Spring Park became the story. Alabama's largest-ever drone show retold Huntsville's journey to the Moon, from liftoff to splashdown, before a record-breaking crowd on the 57th anniversary of the lunar landing.
Video courtesy of McArthur Visuals + Bush Drone Data
Founding Partners
Huntsville built the rocket that put humans on the Moon. In July 2026, the city finally threw it the celebration it deserves.
This film tells the story behind Rocket City Space Fest, Huntsville's inaugural festival honoring our city's central role in the Apollo program and the work still happening here today. Hear from the founding partners who believed in this idea before a single event was on the calendar.
From July 16 to 25, 2026, nearly 20,000 people joined us for ten days of celebration, anchored by Apollo Day on July 20 and a 600-drone show over Big Spring Park. This is Year One of Five. The next giant leap starts right here.
With gratitude to our Founding Partners: Amentum, Apex Defense, Blue Origin, Boeing, CFD Research Corporation, INTUITIVE Research Corporation, Leidos, Lockheed Martin, National Space Club Huntsville, Octave, SafeSplash Swim School and Swim Labs, Sky Elements Drone Shows, Teledyne Brown Engineering, and the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
Press
Ralph Petroff has spent decades making sure Huntsville's space story is told the way it deserves to. Rocket City Space Fest is where that mission comes to life.
Read the Full StoryRocket City Space Fest celebrates Huntsville's spaceflight legacy with events from July 16–20, highlighting Apollo anniversaries and future space exploration.
Read the Full StoryRocket City Space Fest will honor Huntsville's place in space history as it joins the citywide America 250 celebration lineup.
Read the Full Story
The nine-day community festival launches Thursday – the 57th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission to the moon – and splashes down July 24, anchored on Apollo Day, July 20.
Read the Full Story
Rocket City Space Fest is slated to be nine exciting days of events, activities, and experiences across multiple locations throughout the community, July 16–24 at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.
Read the Full StoryJoin UAH at the Huntsville City FC match on Saturday July 18 at 7 p.m.! This space and Apollo-themed match will feature mascots, halftime trivia, and more.
Read the Full StoryFollowing America 250 celebrations, the new Rocket City Space Fest will celebrate Huntsville's contributions to America's space program, from Apollo to Artemis.
Read the Full Story
Alex Hall talks with organizer and Chair Ralph Petroff about the events of the inaugural Rocket City Space Fest and the hopes for future years.
Read the Full StoryFor media inquiries, contact Megan Nivens-Tannett at megan@rocketcityspacefest.com.