Not This Year! Great Falls Balloon Festival Canceled For 2024

A festival that would have celebrated its 30th Anniversary in August, will not take place this year, after all.

The Great Falls Balloon Festival has drawn people from all over the place to the Lewiston/Auburn area for 29 years and counting, to "celebrate the joy and spectacle of hot air ballooning."

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With a variety of activities, vendors, sponsors, and attractions, organizers say the festival typically brings in about $2,000,000 to the Androscoggin County region.

But this year, the Board of Directors of the Great Falls Balloon Festival regretfully announced via social media, that after a lot of thought and discussion, they would have to cancel this year's event.

"This decision was not made lightly, and we understand the disappointment this news will bring to our community, sponsors, volunteers, and participants who have eagerly anticipated this event…. despite our best efforts and extensive planning, we have encountered several significant obstacles that prevent us from hosting the festival this year. These challenges include logistical issues, safety concerns, and other unexpected factors beyond our control. Our 2024 Business Sponsors of the 2024 Balloon Festival will have their monetary support returned to them with the hope that we can count on their support in the future."

Just two years ago, one of the hot air balloons attending the festival had to make an emergency landing in the parking lot of a nearby convenience store.

Organizers say they will regroup, and drill down hard on the planning for future events, stating that the Festival had not been canceled indefinitely, just for this year.