Don’t expect to see an array of colorful balloons filling the sky this summer. The 38th annual New Jersey Lottery Festival of Ballooning in Association with PNC Bank has been rescheduled (again) due to the novel coronavirus.
You might remember the fair as the QuickChek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning, but this Readington-based fest not only has a new sponsor, but a new date. The festival which had been pushed from this July to October, is now rescheduled for July 23-25, 2021.
“Today, after careful consideration, we have made the extremely difficult decision to suspend this year’s efforts to hold the New Jersey Lottery Festival of Ballooning in Association with PNC Bank. We are heartbroken for the thousands of people who were looking forward to this year’s festival, one which brings our community and our state together every summer to celebrate the magic of ballooning,” said Festival Executive Producer Howard Freeman in a press release.
“The health and safety of our attendees, hot air balloon pilots, crew, performers, sponsors, vendors, volunteers and staff has been and will always be our top priority,” said Freeman. “We hoped that when we decided in the spring to move this year’s festival from July to mid-October, the festival would provide a welcome relief and help us heal from this crisis. But at this point, there are too many variables out of our control and we must remain steadfast in upholding our commitment to safety first.”
Known as the largest summertime hot air balloon and music festival in North America, this NJ staple is popular for its attractions (in addition to hot air balloons) like fireworks, children’s amusement rides, concert headliners (previous artists have included Demi Lovato and the Jonas Brothers), 5K races, vendors and entertainment (like the human cannonball). This will be the first time since 1983 that the festival will not take place.
Ticket holders will be able to use their admission tickets, hot air balloon rides, Blue Sky Club Memberships, etc. at the 2021 festival. On Tuesday, August 4 everyone who has purchased tickets will receive an email detailing the deferral/exchange/refund options. No further action is required by ticket purchasers until they receive that email.