Takeoff in 3, 2, 1: Lewiston-Auburn Balloon Festival begins Friday (2024)

LEWISTON — The Lewiston-Auburn Balloon Festival is finally here.

The fun begins early Friday morning, with the first launch scheduled for 6 a.m. from the Simard-Payne Memorial Park on Beech Street in Lewiston. The park is set to host festivalgoers until Sunday evening, with something for everyone.

The festival has come a long way in a short time. In May, the original organizers of the Great Falls Balloon Festival called it off due to a lack of resources. Soon after, the Twin Cities came together to run it instead.

In recognition of the shared effort between Lewiston and Auburn, the festival was renamed. In the time since, community support has poured in, with dozens of vendors and a variety of sponsors, as well as a $60,000 grant from the State Office of Tourism.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the festival is $2,340 short of its fundraising goal.

“We’ve secured $167,660 in pledges on a really short timeline,” Nate Libby, Lewiston’s assistant director of economic and community development, said Wednesday. “A few more sponsorships are trickling in. The original goal for sponsorships was $170,000. We are so proud of and grateful for all the businesses, organizations and individuals who’ve stepped up to support the festival with their time, effort, and financial support.”

“We’ve secured 10 hot air balloons, five specialty shape balloons, 14 nonprofit food vendors, over 100 artisans and crafter booths, a parade, a family fun day, musical performances including Motor Booty Affair, Julia Gagnon, Taylor Hughes, among other musicians,” Libby added. “Lots of other special events, entertainment, and family friendly activities. And the weather looks good!”

The weather looks good, indeed.

“Friday morning looks pretty nice. The winds begin very light and then pick up,” Greg Cornwell, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Forecast Office in Gray/Portland, said. “It’ll be an onshore wind, so (coming) from the southeast, as the day goes on. But winds are, especially in the morning, expected to be relatively calm.”

Friday afternoon might be a little more breezy, Cornwell added. “Nothing generally less than, I’d say, 15 miles per hour. So, probably still an OK condition for (balloons).”

The area could have some showers across the interior, but “those will be more towards the mountains versus treading into the Lewiston area,” Cornwell said.

Friday’s temperatures will be cool for this time of year, around 78 degrees for the day’s high. The day might be a “near-perfect day,” for a balloon festival, Cornwell said.

There’s a chance of rain on Saturday and Sunday, but the weekend forecast might change later in the week.

With over 80 volunteer sign-ups, the festival is no longer accepting volunteer applications. Lewiston Public Works is preparing the grounds at the Simard-Payne Memorial Park, Mayor Carl Sheline said Wednesday.

According to Sheline, the city expects over 100,000 visitors for the weekend. “While we are two cities, we are one community and I’m proud (Lewiston and Auburn) could come together to get this festival off the ground for our residents and tourists from around the world,” Sheline said.

Not fond of heights or crowds? The Sun Journal is bringing all the balloon action to people via livestreams.

All morning and evening launches will be livestreamed at Sun Journal’s YouTube channel. There will be a play-by-play live blog from the festival grounds as the balloons take flight.

For trivia enthusiasts, the balloon trivia quiz is still live. Ashley Ellsworth was the lucky winner of two balloon ride tickets. People only need an email address to test their knowledge of balloon trivia ahead of Friday.

The Sun Journal will have a tent at the festival grounds to greet people.

For those who have a large driveway without any obstructions, like nearby utility poles, a balloon might land on the property. To signal your desire to host a balloon landing, lay out a white sheet to show it is somewhere safe to land. Road access is important because the chase team will need to park directly next to the balloon.

Check out the Lewiston-Auburn Balloon Festival coverage at SunJournal.com/balloonfestival.

Admission is free. Only service animals are allowed on the festival grounds.