Each year, toward the end of August, our cities host a gathering of hot-air... no, it's not a congressional meeting but the high-flying beauty of the Great Falls Balloon Festival! People come from far and wide to see the rainbow of balloons that drift over Lewiston-Auburn and experience the fun of the festival on the ground. The sights are always gorgeous as dozens of balloons launch in the morning and early evening and float dreamily over our cities. The fair below offers a wide-range of booths for everything from jewelry to clothes, food of every kind, and games to be enjoyed by all ages. The excitement starts Friday morning, the 20th at 6:00 AM, with "Breakfast with the Balloons" and while it is a bit early for all you night owls the sights are worth it as you have the perfect spot to watch the technicolor spectacle rise over the new day and sail across the river and twin cities. The six o'clock lift-offs occur each day of the fest (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) so you have three opportunities to catch the wonder. If mornings really aren't your thing then you can come for the second launch, each day at 6:00 PM, and marvel at the early evening sky aglow with the bursts of flame from the balloons.
This is the 18th annual balloon festival and this year promises to be the best yet as the theme is "Celebrating Maine Farms" and there will be 
special barn themed balloons, a farmer's market, local Maine products, and more. Throughout the weekend there will be events ranging from a skydive to a booksigning and from a karate demonstration to a duck race in the canal. Museum LA will have free admission at 10:00 AM until 4:00 PM on Saturday. There will also be a carnival on all three days at varying times and a parade at 11:00 on Saturday. The festival also benefits a large number of great local charities and groups so if you needed anymore of a reason to attend there it is! The weather is looking to be perfect for the weekend; what better way to spend a gorgeous day then to watch a beautiful hot air balloon scene and browse local stands. So come out to the Great Falls Balloon fest happening on both sides of the Lewiston-Auburn riverfront this weekend and for more information you can visit the festival's official page. I hope to see you all there!
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