Lincoln Village Kicks Off Balloons Over 66 Weekend with Free Event

[August 29, 2023]   For the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic, the Lincoln Village Healthcare Center (next to the DMV) hosted a free community meal and entertainment that unofficially opened the Balloons Over 66 weekend.

Activities Director Regina Rivera coordinated the event this year and gave credit to “lots of help from the staff” of Lincoln Village. She said that she recalled this event from years before, so when she stepped into her role as Activities Director, she spoke with the board about bringing it back. All of the other Lincoln Village directors, as well as Administrator Brittany Jackson, and most of the Lincoln Village staff were on hand to serve food and welcome the community while still caring for residents.

Rivera’s daughter even came to help, performing what was arguably the best job of the event on this sweltering day– manning the dunk tank.

Those able to withstand the heat on Thursday afternoon were treated to a meal of pulled pork, baked beans, cole slaw, potato salad, watermelon, and lemonade. A band played outside in one corner of the parking lot with seating under the shade of a tree. There was a bounce house and face painting for children, and plenty of sunscreen and popsicles on hand to help beat the heat. There were also bubbles, fans, and frisbees as well as a cotton candy machine that proved to be popular.

However, the most popular station continued to be the dunk tank where kids stood as close to the tank as possible, hoping to get a splash of cool water. The children took turns throwing softballs at the bullseye to trip the switch and cause a dunk, but eventually found that walking up and smacking a hand to the bullseye proved the most effective way to make a splash.

[Stephanie Hall]