Citing the lack of funding and the cost of liability insurance, the hot air balloon portion of the Balloons Over 66 Weekend in Lincoln has been canceled for 2026 its organizer announced on Facebook June 1.
The festival part of the weekend Aug. 28-29, featuring a barbecue cook-off and art fair, remains in place.
Just hours after the announcement, Lincoln Mayor Tracy Welch said he was hopeful the balloons would return for 2027.
“It sounds like there is a desire to collaborate with other people to try to make this a reality next year, but obviously it’s way too soon to tell,” Welch said following the June 1 city council meeting. “I can tell you I think it’s important and I’ll do what I can to help make that a reality.”
Organizer and former Lincoln Mayor Seth Goodman said he personally funded the balloon portion of the event with the help of a few other small local businesses over the past several years. That expense totaled over $100,000 of personal savings “to ensure that it continued on for the community,” Goodman said.
“At this point, it just doesn’t make sense to continue the event,” he added.
Goodman, the owner of ME Realty in Lincoln, brought the balloon event back when he served as mayor from 2017 to 2020. The event had been previously operated by the Chamber of Commerce before it folded.
Last year’s event attracted about 35 balloons from all over the country, drawing a crowd of over 15,000 people, according to Goodman. Â
Welch said the city has had money in the budget at various levels over the last decade or so but acknowledged that “it doesn’t cover nearly what it takes to make that festival happen. That is just a fact.
“Admittedly, Mr. Goodman has borne the burden of the cost of that event mostly. Just going off his post, he just thinks now is a time to take a pause.”
The weekend events also include Dock Dogs, a flea market, a 5k run and kids’ races and food vendors.
Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788: sspearie@sj-r.com: X, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Popular Balloons Over 66 event not returning to Lincoln this summer
Reporting by Steven Spearie, Springfield State Journal-Register / State Journal-Register
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