 With each new year, the organizers of the festival bring surprising
new additions for everyone to enjoy. This year is no different. "Up
in Smoke on the Square" is a Kansas City Barbeque Society-sanctioned
cook-off event that will take place in historic downtown Lincoln on
Friday and Saturday during the festival. The contest will bring over
30 competitors from all over the country to the community to
compete. Barbecue will also be available for purchase from vendors.
In addition to the culinary experience of the KCBS event, patrons of
the festival will enjoy giant kite demonstrations out at the airport
on Saturday and a bags tournament run by Mark Tippett.
Another new
addition to the festival weekend is free parking and shuttle
service. The off-site parking will be at the Burger King parking lot
on Woodlawn Road. Shuttle service will run Friday and Saturday
afternoon from the Burger King lot to downtown Lincoln, then to the
Logan County Airport. The shuttle service will run about every 15
minutes to each of the three locations. In addition to the shuttle
service, the chamber is offering a free trolley service around
downtown Lincoln. The trolleys will make regular stops at the corner
of Pulaski and Chicago, where the shuttles will be dropping off and
picking up patrons throughout the day on Saturday. The trolleys will
run on Saturday and Sunday during high traffic times downtown.
The chamber is continuing the old favorite traditions and new
traditions that have made this event No. 1 in Logan County. The new
festival parade will kick off the weekend on Friday at 3:30 p.m.
Along with the entertainment of PWE professional wrestling out at
the Logan County Airport, live bands will entertain crowds in Scully
Park, The Art of Wine tent and at the airport. Hot air balloons will
fill Logan County skies, and fine art and crafts will fill the parks
downtown, along with delicious food sales lining Lincoln's streets.
On Thursday at 5:30 p.m. the Lincoln/Logan County Chamber of
Commerce is hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the main festival
gate, off Airport Road, at the Logan County Airport, to honor the
38th anniversary of the Lincoln Art & Balloon Festival. In addition
to the ribbon-cut, local pilots will fly to give a preview of what
to expect at the festival on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
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Immediately following the ribbon-cut, the community is invited to
Maple Ridge Care Centre for the 13th annual kick-off party, where
they serve a fabulous dinner and entertain with a live music until
8:30 p.m. This event kicks off a weekend of exciting, fun-filled
activities at the Logan County Airport. Activities there include 33
beautiful hot air balloons launching several times throughout the
weekend and glowing both Friday and Saturday evening. The festival
will also feature new live entertainment with Tru Dat on Friday
night and The Brat Pack on Saturday night, professional wrestling
provided by PWE, tethered balloon rides, and family games and
activities.
On Saturday at 9 a.m. the chamber will host another ribbon-cut
for the Fine Art Fair and other downtown portions of the weekend
festivities. This event will take place on the corner of Pekin and
Kickapoo streets. The annual Fine Art Fair has grown into an entire
downtown festival that also includes The Art of Wine, an Illinois
wine tasting event, along with a craft fair, flea market and a
KCBS-sanctioned competition. The downtown portion of the festival
will also feature games and activities for families.
Sunday there will be an antique car show around the square and
the 1800s Craft Fair at Postville Courthouse.
Check out all the Lincoln Art & Balloon Festival activities and a
complete, detailed schedule at
www.lincolnillinois.com.
[Text from file received from
the Lincoln/Logan County
Chamber of Commerce]
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