Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival Gets $27K In City Support

TEMECULA, CA—The Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival, planned for the weekend of May 17, 18, and 19, will receive city financial support, the council unanimously agreed upon in Tuesday's City Council session, as part of the consent calendar.

According to Christine Damko, the city's Economic Development Manager, $27,000 previously earmarked for the Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival will be dispersed before June 30 as part of the 2023-24 budget. She said there was no fiscal impact associated with the funding, which would go toward promoting the city and the event. The festival is run as a nonprofit and partnered with Visit Temecula Valley for the upcoming three day event.

The city annually supports the festival, which draws thousands of residents and visitors to the Lake Skinner Recreation Area each year. In turn, for funding, the festival will provide the city's logo on advertisements, press releases, posters, flyers, shirts, tickets, parking, and hospitality passes.

"The visitors include a growing market of out-of-state attendees," Damko wrote to the council. "The Festival increases local spending and generates overnight stays at our local hotels."

"The 2024 event will once again kick off with morning balloon launches, evening balloon glows, wine tasting, a wine competition, and numerous food vendors," according to the event website.

This year's headliners include Friday Night: Stone Temple Pilots, Saturday Night: Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Sunday Night: George Thorogood and the Destroyers. Joining those headliners are Lit, Fuel on Friday, Lauren Alaina and Tyler Rich on Saturday, and Chase Bryant on Sunday. Yachtly Crew will be on the more intimate Wine Stage Friday night, and officials say more artists are still being added to the calendar.

Local and regional breweries also provide beer tasting and food pairings throughout each day, and daytime and evening concerts feature multiple genres and popular talents, including local musicians.

"The event includes one of the largest local arts and craft fairs, plus local and regional commercial product vendors," Damko said.

After reviewing financial statements, operations, and public safety invoices, the 2024 Economic Development Subcommittee recently recommended $30,000 for the 2025 Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival, which will be disbursed next year.

For more information about the festival, visit www.tvbwf.com.

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