Kiwanis Indiana, a local non-profit, will hold its annual balloon festival this weekend at the Monroe County fairgrounds. The three-day event is a fundraiser for youth programs in South Central Indiana.
The festival will be celebrated from 4-11 p.m. Oct. 26 and 27, and 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Oct 28. It will feature an array of hot air balloons, as well as artistic balloons designed to look like familiar characters and shapes. Balloon launches will be held each day of the festival, as well as a balloon glow at night, where balloons will be tethered to the ground and illuminated.
This year, the festival will incorporate many Halloween-themed activities for all ages, such as pumpkin decorating, trick-or-treating and hayrides. Attendees can also enjoy items from food vendors, inflatables and giant kite demonstrations.
Throughout each day of the festival, the “Wheels of Agriculture” family game show will host several sessions, where participants can answer agriculture-based trivia questions in exchange for prizes. Additionally, a live band will perform at the fairgrounds each night, including Journey Tribute Band at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, The Dynamics at 8:30 p.m. Friday and the Indigos at 7 p.m. Saturday.
On Saturday, attendees can look forward to kite flying, a costume parade and a performance of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” by students from Jackson Creek Middle School in Bloomington.
Tickets will be available for $25 per carload or $40 for a weekend pass at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater website until Wednesday. Tickets will also be available upon entry into the fairgrounds for $30 per carload.
To see the festival’s full schedule of events, visit the Kiwanis Indiana Balloon Fest Facebook page.
