The Chamber Celebrates the 41st Annual Lincoln Art & Balloon Festival with ribbon cuts

[August 19, 2014]  LINCOLN - The phones are ringing off the hook; the office is packed with boxes of t-shirts, souvenirs, and supplies. Inflatable balloons and sponsor banners are showing up all over Lincoln. These are all signs the preparations are entering their final stages for the 2014 Lincoln Art & Balloon Festival.

With each new year the organizers of the Festival want to wow guests with vivid colors, exciting activities, wonderful smells, beautiful art, great music, and much more. This year is no different—many of our old favorites will be back along with some surprising new additions. At the Logan County Airport laser tag will be available in place of wrestling. Organizers felt the wrestling show was not a good fit for the family-friendly environment they wish to create and maintain for guests. In addition some very exciting live music at the airport. Jeff Sable with Sable Country will be headlining Friday night after the balloon glow about 8:30pm and the headline band on Saturday night at the same time is the wildly popular party band out of Springfield, Captain Geech and the Shrimp Shack Shooters. Back by popular demand is the Elk’s Veteran’s Committee bags tournament at the airport on Saturday. Also on Saturday in the beer garden they will be offering a bucket drink special. Between 1pm and 4pm individuals 21 and over can enter to win a free balloon ride for Saturday for free. Individuals must be present to win. Drawing will be held at 4pm in the beer garden.
 

The free parking will be offered again with free shuttle ride service to beat the $1 parking charge out at the Logan County Airport. The off-site parking will again 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 again 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 picking up guests all along the downtown route.

Because of popular requests the Chamber is offering paid tethered balloon rides downtown on the corner Delevan and Hamilton (grass lot behind Lincoln Christian Church). These rides will be offered Friday 4pm to 10pm and Saturday 4pm to 10pm. The cost is $15 per adult and $10 per child.

On Thursday, August 21st at 5:30 p.m. the Lincoln/Logan County Chamber of Commerce is hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony at the main festival gate off of Airport Road, at the Logan County Airport to honor the 41st anniversary of the Lincoln Art & Balloon Festival. In addition to a ribbon cut our local pilots and special shape, Betty Jean the Butterfly, will fly to give a preview of what to expect at the Festival on August 22nd and 23rd. This event kicks off a weekend of exciting fun filled activities at the Logan County Airport which includes 33 beautiful hot air balloons launching several times throughout the weekend and glowing both Friday and Saturday evening.

On Friday, August 22nd the Chamber will kick-off the downtown activities and kick-off parade with a ribbon cut at the corner of Wyatt and Kickapoo just before the parade at 3:15pm. The annual Fine Art Fair has grown into an entire downtown festival including, The Art of Wine, and Brew 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 an 1800’s craft fair at Postville Courthouse. Check out all the Lincoln Art & Balloon Festival activities and a complete detailed schedule at www.lincolnillinois.com or on Lincoln Daily News.

At 4:00pm on Saturday, August 23rd we invite all media and guests to meet us on the east side of Lincoln’s Historic Courthouse lawn (where the BBQ awards are presented) to hear an announcement regarding the 2015 event line-up. This announcement will include details about the expansion of the Lincoln Art & Balloon Festival.

[Text received; ANDI HAKE, LINCOLN LOGAN COUNTY CAMBER OF COMMERCE]