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Hot Air Balloon Festival Returning to Collierville

From Staff Reports and Graham Sweeney 

A hot air balloon festival will be returning to Collierville in the same location as last year but under a new name – Collierville Balloon Festival and new dates, Sept. 16–18. 

The non-profit organization, Collierville Balloon Festival, is hosting this community event. 

Proceeds from the festival will go to support education needs in the community. 

Since a proposed development on Maynard Way has yet to be approved by the Town, the organization is able to utilize the same property as last year. 

Chad Lindsay with Alston Construction said, “Alston Construction has committed to return as the Presenting Sponsor for the event and we are excited that Orgill, the longest-running company in Memphis, will be the Stage Sponsor.” 

Since it was brutally hot in June, the organizers decided to host the event in September when temperatures are milder. 

The Collierville Balloon Festival will take place September 16 – 18, 2022. The event will host a private event on Friday, Sept. 16 – Friday Night Lights for Special Needs Children and Adults. 

The Collierville Rotary will be leading the efforts again for that night and will be working with all the Rotary clubs in the Mid-South to provide donations to support this event so there is no cost to the special needs children, adults, and their families. Saturday and Sunday the event will be opened to the public at 3:00 pm. Tickets start at $6 for children and $12 for adults with weekend passes available too. 

There is a new Balloon Meister who is extremely experienced with these events to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience. Additional significant improvements are being made to ensure a great family fun experience. 

A couple of well-known entertainers, The Kevin & Bethany Paige band and Almost Famous have already been confirmed to perform along with The Amber McCain Band and local high-school student Brooke Fair. 

The event organizers are targeting to have 25 balloons this year. 

The balloons will launch at dawn from Collierville and soar through the skies on Sept. 17 and 18. 

Balloons fly at dawn and dusk each day, wind and weather permitting. Balloons do not fly during the day. Event goers will be able to enjoy carnival rides, live music, art marketplace vendors, food vendors and tethered balloon rides (weather permitting) as well as an evening balloon glow. There will be a better space to listen to the music and see all the action. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets and chairs for the event. Coolers and outside food and drinks will not be allowed. There are a variety of partnership opportunities available. Ticket are on sale now. 

Follow @Collierville Balloon Festival on Facebook and Instagram to keep up to date on details for the event. More details online at ColliervilleBalloonFestival.com

The inaugural Bluff City Balloon Jamboree was a soaring success last June despite some gusty conditions. 

Tickets sold out early and thousands were able to take in the bulging beauty of more than a dozen colorful hot air balloons north of the Collierville Walmart Supercenter over Father’s Day weekend. 

The event began Friday evening and hosted hundreds of special needs children, sponsored by the Rotary Clubs of the greater Mid-South.

Saturday’s festivities began at dawn with a mass ascension of balloons, some of which were created to resemble characters like Darth Vader, Yoda and Elvis Presley. 

“The festival was just awesome in Collierville this weekend,” said Tim Netherton, an event volunteer and board member for the Collierville Education Foundation. “(It was) such a wonderful feeling to see more than 10,000 people enjoying an event in Collierville.”

Toni Durham, owner of Durham Events and Bluff City Balloons, said, “As an owner and operator of a hot-air balloon company here in the Mid-South, I’ve been able to participate in balloon festivals all over the country and we wanted to be able to host an event here in our hometown.”

The event was initially planned for 2020 but was cancelled due to COVID-19.

Due to Shelby County Health Department Guidelines, only 5,000 attendees were allowed at the event each day, according to volunteer Susan Ewing of Ewing Marketing Partners.

“Attendance was limited by the Health Department, 

not anyone’s choice in Collierville,” said Netherton. “We are sorry, yet fortunate, that the event sold out in advance.” 

Ewing said that wind gusts also created a need to ground balloons on occasion.

“As it was our first time doing this, there were a few bumps along the way,” said Netherton, “but overall, it went really well.” 

Chad Lindsay, vice president and general manager of Alston Construction, the event presenter, said his group was “delighted to participate in and be the presenting sponsor.”

“It was a great opportunity to support and benefit the local Collierville and Memphis community through the Collierville Rotary Club and the Collierville Education Foundation,” Lindsay said. “We were excited to be there and looking forward to next year. It was really great to see the Alston Construction hot air balloon in the air with 20 other balloons. Seeing the impact on the community, including the Friday night Special Night for Special Kids event, was remarkable.”

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