Organizers Reject Lewiston's Proposal to Save Balloon Festival

The residents of the Twin Cities and beyond have now officially found out that the beloved Great Falls Balloon Festival in Lewiston, Maine, is cancelled for real, according to the Sun Journal. We all heard they cancelled, but there was a chance that the city and event organizers were trying to make it a possibility.

If so, it would have been a historic 30th-year anniversary. But alas, the offer was rejected.

The board voted unanimously to reject the proposal as written for the 2024 festival – Sun Journal

This has been an iconic event for so many years, bringing in around 100,000 people. Not to mention this event has benefited our community economically.

It's normally a three-day event that happens every third week of August, when people crown into Lewiston’s Simard-Payne Memorial Park. The festival has been happening since 1992, and has helped boost businesses in LA.

Unfortunately, this year's event has been canceled and rejected due to a combination of challenges, safety concerns, and financial issues. The festival board said they didn't have enough volunteers, sponsors, and services like security ,which made the decision tough. Lewiston tried to get it off the ground, but unfortunately, it's a no to lift-out.

The festival is known for its beautiful hot air balloons that fill the sky with wonder, magic, and community spirit.

This event has faced financial and coordination difficulties in the past, including issues with tax-exempt status and volunteer management, as the report states.

Here’s hoping that next year, the festival will return back and better than ever!