Up, Up and Away! Big Plans for the Crown of Maine Balloon Fest

The Crown of Maine Balloon Fest, August 25 - 28, 2022

Plans are in the works for another big Balloon Fest in Presque Isle. There will be food trucks, live music, craft fair, Fun on the Field for kids, flights, and so much more. There's information going up on social media now for one of the premier events in northern Maine.

Planning All Year 

LaNiece Sirois, Executive Director at Central Aroostook Chamber of Commerce, said planning for the Crown of Maine Balloon Fest has been going on for a long time. “The committee meets all year long. We’re always working on the agenda to get what worked great the year before and continue to do those, and what can we add for value.”

Craft Fair Applications

The festival is in August, but many things are happening right now to get ready, Sirois said, “The application for craft fair vendors has been open for over a month. The craft fair is starting to fill up.”

Save the Date for Flight Reservations

Also, a save the date is posted on Facebook and on the homepage to make balloon flight reservations. “We were able to post a save the date for July 1st when flight reservations will open. If you want to reserve your spot on a balloon, you want to be right on top of that because they sell out very quickly,” said Sirois.

Food Trucks & Vendors

Food trucks are an important part of the event. “Some of the traditions that are really important are making sure we have a great selection of food trucks. We have ice cream, coffee, pizza, burgers and BBQ, and an all around selection of food. We are open to receive applications from food vendors.”

Kids Day

Fun on the Field is a day for kids to really get involved. Sirois said it’s something families really look forward to every year. “Children’s Day is very popular. It’s Saturday afternoon from 1 - 3 p.m. There are games for the kids to come and play that are age appropriate.”

Variety of Balloons

There are always a wide variety of balloons to see. Sirois said the number is always focused on safety first., “We typically have between 10 and 12 balloons. Our field only carries so many. When balloons are going up, you have to pay attention to the power lines. For safety reasons, we can only have so many.”

Music and Entertainment

The Crown of Maine Balloon Fest is known for great music and entertainment. “We’ll have live music. We’ll have bands and the beer garden will be there. Our DJ will be on site to walk us through things and play music.”

No Maine Street Party

This year, the party on Main Street in Presque Isle will not happen. “We’re not doing that this year. We would like to keep as many events and activities on the fairgrounds and keep everything in the same place. I think people get a little confused when we start spreading out.”

Layout

The layout at the fairgrounds will be very much like last year with some minor changes. “We’re going to have a similar setup. We’ll move a few things around. We felt the bands were a little too loud for the crafters, as far as logistics, there will be a few changes to that, but nothing that will affect anybody.”

Volunteers, Business Sponsors and the City

It takes a lot of work and energy to plan such a big event. The volunteers, local businesses and the city make it possible, said Sirois. “The Balloon Fest has about a dozen very dedicated volunteers, but it takes hundreds to put it on. It’s all about the volunteers and the work that they do, the business partnerships that help to fund it, and the city of Presque Isle.”

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Additional Information

For more information about the Crown of Maine Balloon Fest, go to their Facebook and homepage. You can get applications for the craft fair and food trucks too. There are a lot of updates and info at the Central Aroostook Chamber of Commerce and on Facebook.