Balloon Festival takes flight in May
The Touchstone Energy® hot air balloon will soon be one of many colorful balloons floating above Washington County during the upcoming Touchstone Energy® Balloon Festival in Chipley. Six Florida and Alabama Touchstone Energy® cooperatives, including West Florida Electric, will co-sponsor the event Saturday and Sunday, May 1 and 2, at the Old Chipley High School. Organized by the Washington County Tourist Development Council, the festival is expected to draw more than 20,000 people for a weekend of fun and entertainment, including breathtaking balloon rides, weather permitting, over the city.
The event site is three miles north of Interstate10, within walking distance of downtown shopping. Attendees will enjoy local musical entertainment, arts and crafts vendors, carnival rides, food and evening balloon glows. American Equipment Rental and Sales is sponsoring this year’s festival stage, and added entertainment for this year’s event includes a Sta-Bil sanctioned lawn mower race sponsored by Lane’s Outdoor Equipment Company, followed by a brilliant fireworks display sponsored by Twin Oaks Juvenile Development, Inc.
“The addition of the Sta-Bil United States Lawn Mower Racing Association (USLMRA) lawn mower racing series at this event is just tremendous,” said WCTDC Chairman Ted Everett. “Patrons can witness lawn mowers racing at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour. This is the first time this points series race has come to this area, and we are expecting a large crowd to witness this event.”
“The Touchstone Energy Balloon Festival, in its third year, is becoming an icon for family fun in the tri-state area,” says Terry Mullen, West Florida EC manager of member services and communications. “People travel from a 100-mile radius to see these three-story wonders of aviation in flight. We are proud to play a part in bringing an event of this magnitude to the area.”
The Touchstone Energy hot air balloon, a symbol of Touchstone Energy cooperatives nationwide, will be among 12 balloons flying at the event. Professionally flown and managed by Cooperative Balloon Associates, LLC, a group of Illinois Touchstone Energy Cooperatives, the 69,000 cubic-foot competitive hot air balloon stands 72 feet tall and 53 feet wide when fully inflated.
Touchstone Energy is a national alliance of local, cooperatively-owned utilities providing high standards of service to customers and their communities. More than 600 Touchstone Energy Cooperatives in 41 states deliver energy and energy solutions to more than 16 million customers everyday.
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