NJ balloon festival canceled in 2024
"One-year hiatus to reimagine, refresh and relaunch the next version of this great festival in 2025" mostly because of increased costs, was announced.
www.mycentraljersey.com
OT: NJ balloon festival canceled in 2024
- Thread starter Tango Two
- Start date
My thoughts exactly. Once Quik Chek withdrew sponsorship, The NJ Lottery took over. I thought lottery funds were supposed to go to NJ schools but I'm pretty sure they were paying far less than Quik Chek was.
And it's never too early to start the grumbling that we scheduled UCLA at home in 2024 on the same day of "The Far Hills Hunt" - lol
That really blows. Reminds me of an old boss who wanted to treat his department (about eight of us) to free hot-air balloon rides…rides that he himself would not be participating in. Yes, he was diabolical and an also a danger to your general health and well-being at all times.
Any way the wind blows….(gong crash)
Any way the wind blows….(gong crash)
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That sucks! Here's what they list as the reasons:
I have no idea what they got for talent, but I'm surprised they can't open this up to local musical acts which would be much cheaper and give those musical acts and outlet to be seen and heard.
I have no idea what they got for talent, but I'm surprised they can't open this up to local musical acts which would be much cheaper and give those musical acts and outlet to be seen and heard.
I grew up in Readington
Balloon Festival weekend was always a great time
From working it as a teenager to then partying in my 20's and 30's around the neighborhood, it was always a blast
Balloon Festival weekend was always a great time
From working it as a teenager to then partying in my 20's and 30's around the neighborhood, it was always a blast
I worked that a few times as well in high school and college. Either for the festival as security or for the retail store I worked for. It was a good time back in the 80s and 90s, especially for us locals. I grew up in the same area, and the balloons used to come over our house -- even had one land in our field one time.
Bummer that it got canceled but the costs have gotten exorbitant in this economy I guess. Maybe it will indeed be a one year hiatus, but I am personally pessimistic about that.
Once Quik Chek bailed as the sponsor, they were in trouble
Hopefully they can figure things out and get it back up and going
I was thinking the same thing. Probably had to overpay for national “name” acts because that’s how they make most of their money now - live shows vs. recordings. Make the emphasis more on local music, food, craft breweries, wineries etc. to support the balloons.
I’m on one of the hills in Flemington and we get at least one ballon land in our neighborhood a year. The landing approach is always a little sketchy. Sometimes scraping over tops of trees/etc. My neighbor took a crazy pic of one just a few feet over my house!
I went twice. It wasn't that great of a venue. The last time we went the parking attendant wouldn't let us out to go home. We were in a line that was not moving for almost an hour, so we and other cars drove to an adjacent line. The attendant stopped that line right when we were about to be let out. When the attendant stopped us, the car behind us drove around us and nearly ran over the cocky attendant. If I was driving I would have driven past him as well.
I went to this once and it was extremely hot that day. It was about 10 years or so ago, to see The Tedeschi Trucks Band with Sharon Jones (sadly now deceased) and The Dap Kings. Great day of music, although it was hot as hell.
They never had bands back in the 80s into the early 90s. It was about the balloons. Then it went corporate and slid downhill losing its charm
Just like the Alexandria Festival of Ballooning it will never come back
Just like the Alexandria Festival of Ballooning it will never come back
