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From 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, admission will be free for veterans. While the main focus will be having fun, taking in the cars and planes, and celebrating the service of veterans, there will also be groups and resources on site to aid veterans in a variety of life situations.

���We decided this year to partner with Pistons & Props to reach more veterans,��� said Kati Beck, community engagement and partnership coordinator for suicide prevention at the William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital in Madison.

���While it���s a big party, it���s also a way for veterans to connect with services that they need,��� said Beck, a U.S. Air Force veteran, noting that proceeds from this event will help support the Rock County Veterans Emergency Fund.

Any time that a veterans��� event is held in southern Wisconsin, it���s likely the Marine Corps League Southwestern Wisconsin Detachment 623 is involved. Veterans��� night at Pistons & Props is no exception.

���A lot of the other veterans��� organizations are made up of people who work during the day and can���t volunteer for some activities during the day, like our work here setting up for Pistons & Props,��� said Marc Van Zandt, a leader in the local Marine Corps League detachment. ���I���m blessed to be retired, so I can take the lead on a lot of these projects.���

Van Zandt, a Marine veteran, pointed out that Beck and others provide direct services that are essential to veteran support, while the Marine Corps League gives moral support and comfort to vets.

���We provide brotherhood and sisterhood for veterans,��� Van Zandt said. ���They can come and just hang out with us every day.���

���We have experiences they can relate to,��� he said. ���We are always there for veterans ��� any veterans.���

Van Zandt and Beck were busy Thursday with tent setup in preparation for the 2-day Pistons & Props event. During the lunch hour they made sure volunteers had pizza and cold beverages.

���We want to see as many veterans as possible Friday evening,��� Van Zandt said. ���We can take care of business and help vets with concerns or questions, but we will have plenty of time to just party, feel good about each other and support one another.���

Weekend schedule

There���s a lot planned Friday and Saturday during Pistons & Props.

On Friday night, there will be balloon rides at a cost of $20 per person and fireworks at 9 p.m.

On both days, there will be 13 aircraft displays, including the UW Health Med Flight. Others include the Beech QU-22B, Cirrus Aircraft, T-34A, TBM Avenger, L-5, BT-13, P-51 Mustang, SBD Dauntless ���Speedy D,��� North American SNJ, AC-47 ���Spooky,��� That���s All, Brother and B-29 ���Doc��� Superfortress.

There will also be rides offered in the B-29; That���s All, Brother; P-51; SBD; BT-13 and L-5 and flyovers from the Red Star Pilot Association on Friday at 5:50 p.m. and on Saturday at noon.

End Fight Scene, a group that mixes rock, pop, country and hip-hop, will provide live music on Friday from 6-9 p.m. The live music continues Saturday with blues band The Cash Box Kings from 10 a.m. to noon and SuperTuesday!, which covers pop, rock and country, from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

For $300, visitors can drive an exotic vehicle on the runway. There will be a choice of a 2019 Ferrari 488 GTB, 2021 Lamborghini Huracan Evo, 2024 McLaren Artura, 2023 Corvette C8 ZO6 or 2018 Jeep Trackhawk.

There will also be a car and motorcycle show from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. The car show gate will open at 9 a.m. Registration will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Voting will take place from 1-3 p.m.

There will be aviation and science education booths as well as carnival games, aviation- and car-themed arts and crafts, rocket and paper aircraft build stations, 3D printer displays and five bounce houses.

And there will be a beer garden.

More information, including a full schedule of events, is .