The Centralia Chamber of Commerce’s monthly lunch on Wednesday took place in Fairview Park, the location of this year’s Balloon Fest. Executive Director Marcus Holland shared details with local business leaders on the logistics of the event, which in past years has been held in Foundation Park. With the new venue, the chamber has had to come up with new arrangements to allow Balloon Fest to proceed.
The primary parking area for Balloon Fest visitors will be the Fairview Park Plaza shopping center across the street from the park. The portion of road between the shopping center and the park will be closed to vehicle traffic to allow guests to cross the street and enter the park safely.
Holland says that Fairview Park’s existing infrastructure is able to accommodate vendors alongside balloons.
“Vendors require a lot of electricity and space, and obviously not the same space where we’re going to put the balloons,” Holland said. “How Fairview Park is set up and now that the pool is no longer here, we have enough space for twenty plus balloons to be set up in the park at the same time before the glows on Friday and Saturday night, and we have enough space for the vendors. Where the carnival is is where the food vendors will go, and north of the playground is where the craft vendors will go. There’s enough space there under the trees where the balloons can’t set up.”
While Fairview Park will not be able to hold every balloon participating in Balloon Fest at the same time, visitors will be able to see all balloons in the air during scheduled flights. Take-off locations will be determined based on weather conditions to ensure that every balloon will be able to be seen in the air from Fairview Park. There will be no all-balloon glow this year, but there are two scheduled balloon glows that will each feature half of the balloons participating in this year’s Balloon Fest.
More information on this year’s balloon fest, including vendor registration and schedules for Fairview Park and hot air balloon events, can be found on the chamber’s website at centraliachamber.com.
