Cambridge Valley Balloon Festival

Sad year for ballooning. We know how difficult this decision was for Mark and all involved.

Thank you to all who participated in our Balloon Display Contest. Your all Winners!! But we had to choose 2 top prizes. The Mcauley Family Residence & Cambridge Valley Rescue Squad, Inc will each receive a $50 Chamber GC. BlackDog Wines Spirits, Team Tinkham of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, The Cambridge & Samantha McLenithan residence will all recieve a $25 GC. Next year we will run the contest so that everyone’s display’s are up a week prior leading to our big 20th Anniversary Festival. Start planning it now! And credit goes to Pamela Bee Billings owner of Deluge Design Stained Glass & Gifts for her talent and hard work that went into the creation of the stained glass Balloon Window! Just gorgeous!!

Country Gals Cafe has supported the balloon festival for many years, by sponsoring a balloon, Pinwheel, fireworks & selling festival merchandise at the diner! Many pilots and crew have enjoyed their breakfast on balloon weekend at the diner. Thank you Todd, Jeanie & Becky for all you do for our festival & the Cambridge Community! Pinwheel, Piloted by Rob Swinton who has flown with us since 2004, has been sponsored the last few years by Hoosick Tire. Scott & Anne Helft have also supported this festival and the Cambridge Community for many years! Please Continue to support these generous businesses!!

The Eagle Press has been a sponsor/supporter of the festival since our first flight In 2001. Thanks for all the special coverage and press you give us throughout the year and on festival weekend! And where would we be without our resident clown, Pilot Glen Horton & his balloon Sparkles sponsored by the Eagle when he flew Tree Hugger. And most recently sponsored by Green Bridge Publications. Thank you both for all your support and coverage of the festival!

So by now our opening ceremonies would have started and all the excitement of the weekend! Although the pharmacy has sadly closed, Bridget Rowen and her family continue to support the festival and the community they served for over 40 years! Bridget serves on the committee and has sponsored Ron Cassidy and Break Time for several years! Ron has also flown Loafer & Twohy in our festival. Thank you Bridget for all you do!

Can’t say enough how much Mark Donahue, our Balloon Meister, means to this Festival!! He has been with us since our first Flight. We wouldn’t/couldn’t do it without him!! Bringing Family Affair AKA The Spirit of Cambridge First sponsored by Cambridge Valley Machining. Thank you Don Schneider for your support & helping us lift off in our first year! For the past 15 years, Team Tinkham of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices has had the honor of Sponsoring Mark. Since the retirement of Family Affair, you can see Mark flying Happy Camper at our Festival. Please support these business that support our festival and our community throughout the year!!