Maine Festival Of Big Balloons Will Take Place Afterall

Last month, organizers of a hot air balloon festival set to celebrate its 30th year of drawing thousands of people to the Lewiston/Auburn area announced that the event would not be taking place this year.

The Board of Directors of the Great Falls Balloon Festival announced in May, via the organization's social media account, that they had decided to cancel the 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."

That decision did not sit well with the cities of Lewiston and Auburn, the sponsors of the event, and many folks in Androscoggin County.

Each year, many organizations rely heavily on money brought into the area by people from all over the place to celebrate the big balloons.

The City of Lewiston stepped in to try to save the festival and was initially met with pushback from folks on the event's Board of Directors.

But, according to television station WMTW, when they realized just how much money the region stood to lose, and how devastating that would be to the local economy, organizers changed their minds and began to cooperate.

"The annual balloon festival, in the skies above Lewiston and Auburn, is a big undertaking. The event draws 100,000 people over a single weekend in mid-August. It generates $2 million in economic impact for the Twin Cities."

Christian Petersen -- Getty Images

"The festival Board had a change of heart after an emergency meeting Wednesday and is now willing to relinquish control of the festival to the City of Lewiston.

Early Thursday morning city officials gathered up department heads, past festival organizers, volunteers, and others and believe they can pull it off."

This year's event will take place at the same location, and on the same date the Great Falls Balloon Festival was scheduled to happen, only it will be called something different.

The "L/A Balloon" Festival is set to kick off on August 16th and run until August 18th. The event will be held at Simard Payne Memorial Park.