Balloon Fest Takes Flight This Week!
Can you Imagine lifting off the ground in the gondola basket of a hot air balloon? This is the exact spectacle that over 150,000 visitors will come to our area will see this week. Locals and visitors alike can witness the beauty of hot air balloons against the blue of the Adirondack sky…
The 50th Adirondack Balloon Festival is only days awa,y and you can feel the excitement building! This event is expected to host more than 70 balloons, drawing pilots from throughout the world, including Saga, Japan, and Gatineau, Québec. This year’s fest will begin on Wednesday, September 20th, and go through Sunday, September 24th. The launches will be at Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport, Hiland Country Club, and Crandall Park.
Fifty years ago the question was posed: “What kind of event would bring visitors to the region after Labor day?” This question was answered by John Marsden – a balloonist from Manchester, Vermont – and Walter Grishkot, who dabbled in all things Glens Falls… And the rest is history!
In 1973, this event was originally held at Adirondack Community College (SUNY Adirondack), and has grown from there. It began with 19 balloons launched during a two-day event. This event has created local lore and captured the imagination. During the 1973 launch, one balloonist landed in Argyle, a dry town, and presented the property owner with a bottle of champagne, which is the traditional gift of appreciation for being allowed to land. Kindness prevailed (a favorite saying of Gishkot), and the Argyle police allowed the balloonist to dispense the champagne.
The Adirondack Balloon Fest which is organized by volunteers has an indelible economic impact on the area. The Adirondack Festival Board has booked 400 to 500 rooms in 12 different hotels to accommodate special guests. Mark Donahue, the Balloon Festival Board President, estimates that this event brings the area five to ten-million dollars annually, as those who arrive for the event take advantage of local hotels and businesses.
The Festival runs on roughly a $200,000 budget. About $50,000 of the festival’s funding comes from Warren County Occupancy Tax Revenue. Businesses and individuals can sponsor balloons, and online donations can be made at www.adirondackballoonfest.org.
A major goal of the festival is to remain non-commercial and free. The festival benefits local non-profit groups, including Rotary, World Awareness Children’s Museum, and The Open Door Mission. It has raised nearly one-million dollars for these organizations over the last 49 years.