During the Saturday night peak of this year’s Lewiston-Auburn Balloon Festival, several balloonists were “candle-sticking” along to the music being performed by Motor Booty Affair.

Simply put, the balloon’s burners were being lit to disco and funk beats, one of several things that organizers say makes the annual festival one of the most unique in Maine, whether or not balloons are launched.

However, this year festivalgoers saw balloons fly as well, with three full launches and a partial one, along with tethered balloon rides popular with families and children. Compared to the year prior, which saw balloons grounded for its entirety, the festival was deemed a rousing success by organizers.

Mel Hamlyn, festival committee member, said the weekend went off smoothly, and she heard nothing but positive vibes from guests. During each launch, a dozen balloons rose above Simard-Payne Memorial Park and the Androscoggin River. On Saturday night, the weather made some pilots wary, but two local balloonists who are more experienced with Lewiston-Auburn conditions went up.

“The weekend went great. Guests were very happy,” she said, adding that people also liked the “Star Wars” theme despite the Darth Vader and Yoda shaped balloons remaining on the ground. (The “Spyder Pig” balloon did fly).

Mayor Carl Sheline and others still had fun with the theme over the weekend. Some people dressed like characters from the movies, with stormtroopers, Jawas and an Ewok making an appearance. Sheline posted several photos and videos to social media.

“We were flying high in Lewiston this weekend,” he said. “The balloon festival was a great success. I’m grateful to all of the balloonists, crews, craft and food vendors, city staff and volunteers who helped make it such a wonderful event. Lord Vader himself would be very pleased.”

In the past 10 years, not one festival has had balloons rise at all six potential launches — five was the most — and for a number of years less than half the potential launches saw balloons actually rise. By those standards, 2025 was a good showing.

Leading up to the weekend, organizers said the weather forecasts were promising. Balloons remained grounded Friday morning, but went up Friday night and Saturday morning. There was a limited launch Saturday night, and then another successful launch Sunday morning.

But organizers know Mother Nature can be fickle, so they also plan for a crowd-pleasing ground-level festival experience.

Angelynne Amores, director of marketing and communications, said the balloon festival is “spectacular” for families, even if balloons aren’t flying, because it’s an “immersive experience.” Pilots inflate their balloons so kids can stand inside and look through the kaleidoscope of color, and tethered rides can allow people to “get their feet wet” with hot-air balloons. There are also “moon glows” and candle-sticking.

The musical acts were also a hit with attendees, Amores said. The festival also featured a parade, a classic car show, tours of the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, a carnival, reenactments and more.

Hamlyn said the festival had 45 craft and trade vendors, who along with the nonprofit food vendors, were already looking to register for next year. When asked, Amores said the city will not have final financial and attendance numbers available until later in the week.

Last year, for the first time since the festival began in 1992, the event was in doubt for a time after the organizers from the previous Great Falls Balloon Festival announced they were canceling it due to lack of funding and support.

City leaders from Lewiston and Auburn stepped in and worked through the spring and summer to make sure the Twin Cities would not be without a balloon festival.

In the aftermath of the event, those organizers said the festival was a success despite a tight window for gaining sponsorships and putting together other logistics. A financial report issued by Lewiston in the fall revealed that the effort turned a profit of nearly $25,000 after raising about $100,000 in sponsorships. It also raised about $76,000 for nonprofit vendors.

Leading up to this past weekend, Nate Libby, Lewiston’s economic development director and the festival’s administrator, said having a full year to plan would make this year’s festival stronger in a number of ways including new features like the tethered balloon rides, a bigger parade, and more recruitment and training of volunteers to make the experience better for participants and balloonists.

Over the weekend, there were a smattering of complaints on the popular Lewiston Rocks Facebook page about too many dogs and smoking, but commenters appeared largely happy with the festival. Some said this year’s festival was more kid-friendly and had several successful launches compared to last year’s ground-fest. Others applauded the music and work from the volunteers who pulled it all together.

Amores said the deadline for the festival’s photo contest is Tuesday at noon. After that, she said, planning will begin for 2026.