LEWISTON — No balloons? No problem. “There’s plenty enough to keep us entertained,” Jen Garant said. “We’re having a great time, balloons or no balloons.” For most of the afternoon, it didn’t appear that this would be the case. All-day rain and frequent downpours raised questions about whether there would be any fun on the […]
great falls balloon festival
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Rain halts first launch, fails to stop balloon festival goers
LEWISTON — It was drizzly and damp early Friday morning for the annual Great Falls Balloon Festival kickoff, but by 5:30 a.m. there were more than 100 people assembled at Simard-Payne Memorial Park, many holding mugs of steaming coffee with cameras at the ready. The first balloon launch was scheduled to begin at 6 a.m., […]
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#GFBallonFest Balloons stay on ground with drizzle, fog
LEWISTON — A few balloons fired up their burners and inflated Friday morning, but that’s as far as they got. The balloons stayed on the ground during a damp morning. More Coverage Our Great Falls Balloon Festival section has stories, photos, videos and social media coverage of the launches and non-launches.
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Rainy skies or not, Balloon Festival preps to go on
LEWISTON — Great Falls Balloon Festival organizers are watching the skies, hoping that rainy forecasts won’t keep their balloons grounded this weekend. “We’ve discussed it here and there, but it’s the one thing we can’t do anything about,” said festival treasurer Mell Hamlyn. “As much as we’d like to change it, we can’t.” Weather forecasts […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Jonathan LaBonte blasts dam operators for closing canals
AUBURN – In a blistering post on Facebook, Auburn Mayor Jonathan LaBonte is criticizing the corporate operators of a hydropower dam on the Androsscoggin River just days before one of Twin Cities largest festivals. “The balloon festival weekend approaches and I’m struggling at the moment to not be completely ticked off,” LaBonte wrote in the […]
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Insurance concerns leave Lewiston charity rubber duck race high and dry
LEWISTON — The rubber ducks will stay dry this year, but a Sunday fundraiser that’s part of the Great Falls Balloon Festival will go on as planned. Bart Kelsea, spokesman for the Lewiston-Auburn Rotary Club, said the traditional rubber duck race has been canceled this year because of insurance concerns. The race was scuttled by […]
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Great Falls Balloon Festival goes global, lifts off Friday
LEWISTON ? Let’s go to Europe, or Africa, or maybe even South America. How about we drop the destination altogether and just travel. The Great Falls Balloon Festival is doing just that for its 23rd year with the theme Let’s Travel. Taking place Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 21-23, at Simard-Payne Memorial Park in Lewiston, the festival […]
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Dempsey Challenge to replace power cords stolen from balloon festival
LEWISTON — Dempsey Challenge organizers have agreed to help the Great Falls Balloon Festival Committee replace the power cables stolen from storage in April, according to a statement by staff members of both events. The heavy-duty copper cords used to power Simard-Payne Memorial Park for the Balloon Festival and the Dempsey Challenge each year were […]
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Balloon Festival raising funds to replace stolen cable
LEWISTON — The heavy-duty copper cords used to power Simard-Payne Memorial Park for the Great Falls Balloon Festival and the Dempsey Challenge each year were discovered stolen earlier this week, and festival organizers are scrambling to organize fundraisers to replace the missing equipment. Some 26,000 feet of copper power cords had been stored on large […]
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Balloon fest has something for everyone
LEWISTON — Sunday evening’s launch was called off due to high winds, but the 22nd Great Falls Balloon Festival held a morning launch and had plenty of afternoon sunshine. Clouds parted as the band Audio Vibe belted out “Don’t You Forget about Me” by Simple Minds. Oikos handed out free Greek yogurt. Kara Thill, 3, […]