Piscataquis Heritage – Hot Air Balloon Festival

Hot Air Balloon Festival • May 31 – June 2

Hot air balloon festival will take off this weekend

    DOVER-FOXCROFT — Mark your calendars for the first Piscataquis Heritage Hot Air Balloon Festival. A dream in the making for many years, this three-day hot air balloon festival will be held from May 31 through June 2 at the Charles A. Chase Junior Memorial Field. Founded by the Kiwanis Club of Dover-Foxcroft and the Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce, this festival is a celebration of local talent in arts, crafts, agriculture, the work of non-profit organizations and the opportunities available in the Maine Highlands region. 

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

    AND THE WINNER IS … — Bill Pearson pulls out Brenda Kelley’s name during the raffle drawing for this weekend’s Piscataquis Heritage Hot Air Balloon Festival while Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Erin Warstler, left, and President Sherry French of Zone Radio look on. The over $600 valued prize package includes two tickets for hot air balloon rides, a pair of lobster dinners at the festival, event T-shirts, commemorative Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce wooden balloons and other assorted goodies. The Piscataquis Heritage Hot Air Balloon Festival, founded by the Kiwanis Club of Dover-Foxcroft and the Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce, will be held May 31-June 2 at the Charles A. Chase Junior Memorial Field off of Pine Street in Dover-Foxcroft.

    In addition to the breathtaking adventure of hot air balloon rides, there will be live music throughout the weekend, artisans and crafters selling their wares, agricultural displays, tradesmen demonstrations, food vendors, a family movie night “under the stars”, tethered balloon rides, and many more unique attractions celebrating the Piscataquis region’s rich heritage. Balloon lift-offs are at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., with balloon glows on Friday and Saturday evening between 8-9.
    On Friday May 31, festival gates open at 4 p.m. with access to a wide array of artisan and crafters selling Maine made goods, an excellent assortment of food vendors and the beer and wine pavilion. Engaging agricultural and tradesmen demonstrations will be taking place throughout the festival every half hour and live music will be on stage starting at 5 p.m.  Between Dead Stations plays at 5 p.m. and North of Nashville takes the stage at 6:30. At 6 p.m. watch as the evening balloon flights lift off. Friday evening will end with a balloon glow, beautifully displaying the festival’s 10 hot air balloons lit up against the night sky. 
    On Saturday, May 1, the day starts off with the balloonists’ breakfast at the Dover-Foxcroft Congregational Church. This is an opportunity for the public to sit down with the balloonists and learn more about what they do over a hearty breakfast. For more information or to purchase tickets for the breakfast, visit the festival website. 
    Festival gates open at 11 a.m. on Saturday, with access to the artisan tent, food vendors, beer and wine pavilion and more. At 11:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Central Street Brewing Company will offer brewing classes to interested parties. The stage will be active on Saturday afternoon with Bird’s Acre’s live owls presentation at noon and Tony Sohns “The Bug Guy” at 1 and 4 p.m.
    The festival will have a visit from the Central Maine Sky Divers at 1 p.m. More live music takes stage at 5 p.m. Watch the second balloon flight of the day liftoff at 6 and another glorious balloon glow at nightfall, between 8-9. Gather the family for “Movie Night Under the Stars” at 9 with a showing of “ET.”
    On Sunday, June 2, the festival gates open at 11 a.m. along with access to artisan tents, food vendors and the beer and wine pavilion. An “Old Fashioned Family Fun Day” will be a highlight throughout the day on Sunday. Activities include tug of war, potato sack races, hay bale toss, water balloon toss, couples obstacle course and an RC Race. The band Unwanted takes the stage at noon on Sunday. 
    Educational demonstrations and entertainment taking place throughout the festival include Maine story tellers, antique fire truck display, bee keepers, Masons, canoe builders, pottery making, 4-H animals, Maine Guide tracking and much more. For a full schedule of events with details, visit the festival website www.piscataquisballoonfestival.org. 
    Tickets for hot air balloon rides are available for purchase on the festival website, and at the Zone Radio office on East Main Street in Dover-Foxcroft. For more information about hot air balloon ride tickets, call Sherry French of Zone Radio at 564-2642. This family friendly festival is extremely affordable, with an entrance fee of just $1 per day. 
    The Piscataquis Heritage Hot Air Balloon Festival is truly the result of a partnership between businesses and the community. Without the valuable support from businesses sponsoring balloons, and the hard work of local volunteers carrying out the festival’s mission, this event would not be possible. Organizers thank all of the hot air balloon sponsors.
    Zone Radio is the exclusive radio sponsor of the Piscataquis Heritage Hot Air Balloon Festival. They will be broadcasting live on the morning of Friday May 31 from Foxcroft Academy in the Re/Max hot air balloon. Be sure to tune into WKIT 100.3 FM, WZLO 103.1 FM, and WZON 620 AM for all the latest on the Piscataquis Heritage Hot Air Balloon Festival.  
    To stay informed on balloon festival updates, be sure to visit the festival’s website often and on Facebook. There are numerous volunteer opportunities for interested parties. Contact Jody Arno, festival coordinator, at jojoarno@yahoo.com  to learn more.

Conservation district
meet and greet will be on Saturday

    DOVER-FOXCROFT — The local community and visitors from away are excited to share in the first ever Piscataquis Heritage Hot Air Balloon Festival, founded by the local Kiwanis and the Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce, which will take place at the Charles A. Chase Junior Memorial Field.
    The Birdsacre Stanwood Wildlife Sanctuary’s Ambassador Owl presentation, that the Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District is sponsoring, will take place at noon on Saturday, June 1 at the festival, and will teach people about the importance of open space conservation for avian and other wildlife habitat.
    Directly after this, the district will be hosting a “meet and greet” until 3 p.m. in the Nonprofit Information Tent, so that members of the public can talk with our staff about the conservation education and technical assistance programs and services that we offer. Executive Director Joanna Tarrazi and Technical Coordinator Lynn Lubas will be on hand, as well as the new Educational Coordinator Kacey Weber. Staff are available to discuss how they can assist in addressing any natural resource concerns you may have, and can share about our work to protect this county’s natural heritage since 1944.
    The district is excited to be a part of fostering our community’s heritage as one of the many proud sponsors of this festival.

Library balloon book sale

    DOVER-FOXCROFT — A Piscataquis Heritage Balloon Festival book sale will run Friday, May 31 from noon to 5 p.m. and Saturday, June 1 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
    This 10 cent sale is at the Thompson Free Public Library on 186 East Main Street. Included in the sale are donated and library-weeded hard covers and paperbacks, children’s and young teen books, videos and DVDs, puzzles, and magazines. For more information call the library at 564-3350.