Great falls balloon festival .

This weekend. 

Established in 1992 by a group of business people, civic leaders, and friends, the Great Falls Balloon Festival is a weekend-long celebration featuring hot air balloons, food, and entertainment.

With the support of local businesses, an army of volunteers and the cooperative efforts of the cities of Lewiston and Auburn, the festival has gained a national reputation as a first-class event and is a destination for many visitors to the state of Maine.

Based at Simard-Payne Memorial Park in Lewiston¡ªwith additional entertainment and food offerings at Festival Plaza in Auburn¡ªthe festival attracts approximately 100,000 visitors throughout the weekend. The Androscoggin River and rocky Great Falls provide a picturesque setting for the dozens of balloons that visit each year, including some special shape balloons. With free admission, hundreds of thousands of dollars raised by participating non-profits and economic impact in excess of $2,000,000, it¡¯s easy to see why our community eagerly anticipates the festival each year.

Balloon launches are scheduled for 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily, weather permitting. When the balloons aren¡¯t overhead, there is still plenty to do: dozens of food booths offer everything from lime rickeys to taco salad, pancake breakfast follows the morning launches, craft and trade booths invite browsing, a children¡¯s area with games, a bounce house, and face painting and live entertainment on two stages. Carnival rides, a parade, and various demonstrations and contests round out the weekend¡¯s events.

To take a ride it costs 225.00 per person.

https://greatfallsballoonfestival.org/our-mission/

Just got back from a local peach parade here in Delaware with my granddaughter. Don't underestimate the fun festivals, parades and marches provide in ANY location. Good junk food, generally good people and it's just good for the soul. 

Sounds like a nice one their in ME.

Probably in the neighborhood of ten years ago, my wife and I were on the last day of a Seattle trip with no plans. So we decide to take the ferry to Bremerton, simply because we had never been there. We had taken the ferry to other places. Never Bremerton. Figured we'd walk around. Find food, maybe a bar, come back. Seemed like more of an easy few hour endeavor than some of the other ferry destinations. We get off the ferry and started walking only to realize that they were having their annual blackberry festival. It was one of those romantic moments that are surreal. Movie like.

I love a quaint festival. I've happened upon my fair share of small town festivals. And don't even get me started on Pioneer Days and County Fairs. I love all that shit. Of course a couple weekends ago I was at Outside Lands Music Festival and that is a different beast all together. Nothing quaint about it.

@Mark_The_Narc

 If you ever find yourself on San Francisco with your granddaughter in the fall, avoid the Folsom Street Fair. It isn't what it sounds like.

@StumpTownStu

 Had to Google it. 

We'll skip that one. But admittedly, I'd make the most of it if I was in town. You only live once.

Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline and Gov. Janet Mills joined the parade along with Lewiston police and fire departments, winners of the Miss Maine USA competition, and members of the Kora Shrine Center. Spectators gazed from lawn chairs on sidewalks along Lincoln Street in Lewiston and Main Street in Auburn, catching candies and flags from the passing array of riders in colorful vehicles.

¡°I¡¯m very happy for the people of Lewiston, Auburn and Central Maine. The turnout was fantastic. The weather, the people, I was happy to be a part of it,¡± said Mills. ¡°(I felt) a great deal of enthusiasm and people feeling the freedom that these balloons represent, and it¡¯s just a great feeling. I was very pleased with the reception along the parade route.

https://www.pressherald.com

A little excitement a balloon landed at a gas station unexpectedly...

Annual Great Falls Balloon Festival in Lewiston and Auburn. Every year hundreds of people come out early in the morning to watch hot air balloons launch into the sky from Simard-Payne Memorial Park and soar over the skies of the twin cities. That is if they are able to stay in the air.

Rich Burton of Lewiston captured a video of the Remax hot air balloon making a very unexpected landing at the Irving convenience and gas station on Lisbon Street in Lewiston.

Read More: Watch Hot Air Balloon Make Unexpected Landing at a Gas Station | https://wjbq.com/watch-hot-air-balloon-make-unexpected-landing-at-a-gas-station-in-lewiston-maine/?isFollow=0&utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

Up date

the balloon actually landed at a gas station because it was out of fuel.

Not sure if the bought some propane canisters. 

Or a polar pop and some hotdogs.....

Everyone was safe and not harmed.

https://wjbq.com/watch-hot-air-balloon-make-unexpected-landing-at-a-gas-station-in-lewiston-maine/?isFollow=0&utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

Tonight's launch was scratched. Due to unfavorable wind conditions.

Next weekend is the Patrick Dempsey challenge raises money for cancer research.

Our town had its local air show recently. Last year, had a pair of F-18s flying Mach 2-3 50 feet over the runway. Also did that thing where he gets 20 feet over the tarmac and points the plane straight up, with the rocket booster allowing him to hover there still as a statue before zooming off at Mach whatever. Literally has so much energy it looks like a mirage around it.

This year, no F18 other than a runway takeoff due to noise complaints. Noise complaints, man. Then every day (after the festival) this week all the F14s, F16s, F18s and F22s going to the local Naval base, can¡¯t hear jack half the time because of jet noise lol. Where are the noise complaints now? Crickets, SMH

It¡¯s once a year, man. I say let ¡®er rip and let¡¯s watch some real life Top Gun.