Hot air balloon festival returns for 35th year
Hot air balloons dot the sky every June in Coshocton as part of the annual Coshocton Hot Air Balloon Festival. This year’s festival will be held from 4 to 10 p.m. Thursday, June 9 and from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, June 10-11, at the Coshocton County Fairgrounds.
COSHOCTON – One of the longest continuous running hot air balloon festivals in the state of Ohio is set to return to Coshocton.
The 35th annual Coshocton Hot Air Balloon Festival will be held from 4 to 10 p.m. Thursday, June 9 and from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, June 10-11, at the Coshocton County Fairgrounds.
Frontier Power is celebrating 10 years of being a major sponsor for the event and is excited to announce a new feature for this year’s festival.
“This year we will have the Touchstone Energy Balloon, which is a nationally recognized balloon and its pilot is a two time world champion balloonist,” said Kelly Kendall, manager of administration and office services at The Frontier Power Company. “We are thankful that Patty and Ken Cramer had the connections to get it here.”
At 6:30 p.m. on Thursday people will be able to take tethered balloon rides in the Touchstone Energy Balloon for $20.
“That money will come back to the Frontier Power Community Connections Fund,” Kendall said. “When our members get their electric bills they can choose to have them rounded up and that money goes into a fund that organizations in the community can apply for donations from. Our board meets and agrees on whether or not to contribute the money out of the fund. Money from the tethered rides will go directly back to the community.”
The tethered rides will be held weather permitting as will the balloon launches scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, 6:30 p.m. Friday, 6:30 a.m. and 6:15 p.m. Saturday. The 9:15 p.m. night glow on Friday also will be dependent on the weather.
“I’ve been up several times in a balloon,” Kendall said. “It’s wonderful. You have to hurry to get in, but before you realize it you are up and floating along. It’s really smooth.”
Nineteen balloons are scheduled to take part in the festival that also includes musical entertainment, carnival rides, food, a queens’ contest, fireworks and much more.
The musical entertainment is being organized by Donnie McVay, who Kendall said has connections in Nashville because his son lived there.
Local group, the Jason Pendola Band, will perform at 8 p.m. Thursday. On Friday attendees will be taken back to the 1950s with Blend at 6:15 p.m. and get a taste of the Beatles at 8 p.m. with British Invasion. On Saturday the McVay Brothers will start the entertainment at 6:15 p.m. and then headliner Chris Higbee will perform at 7:30 p.m.
There is a charge for the carnival rides, but admission and parking for the festival are both free.
“This is a free event and we like that fact and want to keep it free for everyone,” Kendall said. “This is our way of giving back. We are really excited for the festival and hope the weather cooperates.”
Shortly after the festival ends, the all volunteer planning committee will start meeting to plan next year’s event.
“We have a wonderful committee that meets year-round,” Kendall said. “It’s really fun to be part of and I’m so glad Frontier Power decided to be part of it and allows me to spend as much time with the festival as I do.”
Category: Arts & Entertainment
