NJ Balloon Festival Rescheduled To October Due To Coronavirus

READINGTON, NJ — The 38th annual New Jersey Festival of Ballooning for 2020 has been surrounded by much uncertainty this year and has now hit another snag as it is pushed back to October due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"The safety and well-being of our patrons, balloon pilots, concert headliners, partners, vendors, staff and the overall community, are our foremost concern," according to the festival website. "While Governor Murphy hasn't lifted the public health emergency, we are hopeful that we can come together in the fall to celebrate the magic of hot air ballooning."

The highly popular festival, which is traditionally held in July, has been postponed to the weekend of Oct. 16 to 18 at Solberg Airport in Readington.

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Ticket holders will still be able to use their tickets for the new dates in October. They will also get an email detailing the deferral, exchange, and refund options.

Much uncertainty surrounded the festival as its fate came into question after long-time sponsor QuickChek decided to pull out. Freeman had to secure a new sponsor by Jan. 31 to ensure there is enough time to plan for the festival for this upcoming July. (See Related: NJ Festival Of Ballooning Could Be Canceled, Needs Sponsor)

Without a title sponsor the festival was in jeopardy of not continuing in 2020. Freeman pushed back the deadline after he said he got a call on Jan. 28 from an agency representing a client. (See Related: Fate Of 2020 NJ Festival Of Ballooning Still Undecided)

The festival was saved in February when the New Jersey Lottery stepped up as the new sponsor for 2020. Read More: NJ Lottery To Sponsor Festival Of Ballooning For 2020

For more information visit balloonfestival.com.

• Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

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