Temecula Valley Balloon And Wine Festival Cancelled For May

TEMECULA, CA — "The Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival currently scheduled for May 2021 is hereby cancelled."

Those were the words in an order issued Wednesday by Riverside County Public Health Officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser.

The order "is intended to reduce the likelihood of exposure to COVID-19," according to Kaiser. "If COVID-19 was detected at this festival, the scope and number of attendees and the nature of the venue would make it infeasible, if not impossible, to track those who may be placed at risk."

The popular festival that attracts thousands from around the world each spring was pushed from May to September last year due to COVID-19 concerns, and then rescheduled again to May 21-23, 2021.

The annual event is held at Lake Skinner Recreation Area in the heart of Southern California Wine Country. The Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival was established in 1983 to promote the local community and its growing wine region. The event includes sunrise hot air balloon launches, evening balloon glows, concerts on two stages, and tastings of wine, craft beers, mead and local distilled spirits.

As of Thursday evening, event organizers had not updated the festival's webpage at www.tvbwf.com. It's unclear whether the 36th annual event might be rescheduled later this year.

Related news, including an update on COVID-19 figures in Riverside County:

Slowdown In RivCo COVID-19 Testing Tied To Ongoing Closures