Thunderbirds fly again in 2017 Cherry Fest TRAVERSE CITY — Expect a familiar roar overhead in 2018. The U.S. Navy Blue Angels will fly in that year’s National Cherry Festival Air Show, said festival spokeswoman Susan Wilcox-Olson. The crowd-pleasing jets are scheduled to soar above Grand Traverse Bay on June 30 and July 1. “We’re just very, very proud to have the Blues come back,” Wilcox-Olson said. It will be the 14th time the Blue Angels team performs in Traverse City. Their appearance this year was the first after Marine Corps Capt. Jeff Kuss died in a crash. Wilcox-Olson said people should check the Cherry Festival’s Facebook page today at 6:15 p.m. for a live announcement. Festival Executive Director Kat Paye will speak from the annual International Council of Air Shows convention in Las Vegas about the Blue Angels’ return. But it’s not the only good news from Vegas. “We’re most proud too as we come into the 2017 year to welcome back the (U.S. Air Force) Thunderbirds,” Wilcox-Olson said. Thunderbirds representatives will perform July 1 and July 2 during the 2017 National Cherry Festival. They made a comeback in 2015 following a 25-year Cherry Festival hiatus.