NJ Festival Of Ballooning Canceled Again For 2025

READINGTON, NJ — For the second consecutive year, the New Jersey Lottery Festival of Ballooning will not take place in 2025.

"We have always strived to deliver the best experience possible to our fans and after much consideration and evaluation we have decided that it’s best to take another year to re-evaluate, rejuvenate and hopefully re-emerge bigger and better than ever. Therefore, we will not be presenting our three-day celebration in 2025," Festival Executive Producer Howard Freeman said in a message on the festival's website.

The festival, which had been held annually at Solberg Airport in Readington, was previously canceled in 2024 as well.

In 2023, the festival celebrated its 40-year anniversary.

Freeman noted that despite the festival growing into the largest summertime hot air balloon and music festival in the country, many issues still loom large over the industry.

Issues include "spiraling costs (including concert talent, an area where a small independent producer can no longer successfully compete), logistical challenges, not to mention an increasingly unpredictable Mother Nature."

Freeman also thanked the New Jersey Lottery for their support and signing on as the festival's new title sponsor just as COVID was taking hold in 2020.

"Our goal is to preserve all the aspects of New Jersey Lottery Festival Of Ballooning that have always made it so special, while continuing to support our local community and evolving to meet the future," said Freeman.

For more information visit balloonfestival.com.

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