This news was published on Sunday, March 11th, 2007 and is archived under Air Sports.

The 25th Annual Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning will be celebrating its Silver Anniversary July 27, 28 & 29, 2007 at Solberg Airport in Readington, NJ.

We’re proud to be the premier family entertainment event in the northeastern United States and the largest event in the state of New Jersey, attracting more than 175,000 people from around the country and media coverage from around the world over the three-day weekend.

We’ve certainly gone &#quot;Up, up and away&#quot; from our humble beginnings 25 years ago when Bill Lewis, Tom Curley and entrepreneur and balloon enthusiast Malcom Forbes brought 10 hot air balloons to the Union 76 truck stop on Route 78 in western New Jersey.

This year’s Silver Anniversary Festival will feature wall-to-wall - okay, it’s an outdoor event, we don’t have any walls - morning through night family entertainment including children’s entertainment and interactive exhibits, amusement rides, balloon rides, magic shows, fireworks, a balloon glow, hundreds of arts & crafts and food vendors, our legendary concerts, sponsor tents, displays and givaways, the 3rd Annual Quick Chek Original Toasted Italian Sub Eating Contest, and the awe-inspiring spectacle of up to 125 sport and special-shaped balloons ascending twice daily!

The action begins on Friday afternoon when the gates open at 1:00 p.m. The first mass balloon ascension of the weekend is scheduled for Friday night at 6:30 p.m. followed by a live musical concert and a fireworks show.

Saturday’s festivities begin bright and early with our first morning mass ascension at 6:30 a.m., followed by a complete day of family entertainment, and evening mass ascension at 6:30 p.m., another live concert and a really exciting balloon glow.

Then we’ll do it again on Sunday. Highlights include a morning mass ascension at 6:30 a.m., a live concert in the afternoon and our closing mass ascension at 6:30 p.m.

Keep checking the website and future newsletters for details and announcements about our exciting plans to celebrate our 25th Anniversary!

The 25th Annual Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning
Friday, July 27, 2007: 1:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Saturday, July 28, 2007: 6:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sunday, July 29: 6:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

© 2007 Skycontrol