Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning |
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|---|---|
| Begins | Third Friday in July |
| Ends | Sunday |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Location(s) | Readington Township, New Jersey |
| Inaugurated | 1983 |
| Participants | Balloonists |
The Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning is a super fun event held every year in Readington Township, New Jersey. It takes place at Solberg Airport. This festival has been happening since 1983! Its main sponsor is QuickChek, a well-known chain of convenience stores in New Jersey.
In 2012, the festival featured about 125 amazing hot air balloons. Some of these were special shapes, and others were sport balloons. The festival also offers music concerts, craft sellers, yummy food, carnival rides, and exciting fireworks. More than 175,000 people came to enjoy the fun that year! Many companies also helped support the event.
About the Balloon Festival
The New Jersey Festival of Ballooning started in 1983. A person named Bill Lewis worked with USA Today to bring about ten hot air balloons to the first event. This first festival was held at a truck stop on Interstate 78 in New Jersey.
After two years, the festival moved to its current home at Solberg Airport. It quickly grew bigger! It soon had 40 to 50 balloons and welcomed 30,000 to 40,000 visitors. In 1993, Howard Freeman and John Korff took over the festival. They made a long-term agreement with Solberg Airport. That same year, they also got a long-term sponsorship deal with QuickChek. Over time, this festival has become the largest event in New Jersey. It is also the biggest summertime balloon festival in all of North America!
Music and Fun at the Festival
To make the festival even more special, big music concerts were added in 2000. The very first concert featured the famous band, The Beach Boys. Since then, each festival has included three major concerts. Many popular bands have performed, like The Doobie Brothers, Hall & Oates, Styx, Foreigner, America, Jonas Brothers, and KC & the Sunshine Band.
In 2020, the festival had to be canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a tough year for everyone.
A part of the money raised from the festival helps a great cause. It is donated to the Children's Miracle Network. This organization helps fund three children's hospitals in New Jersey.
