The Great Falls Balloon Festival was started in 1992 by a group of  civic-minded individuals who saw a need for a community event that would enable various local non-profit groups to raise awareness to their cause, while raising money and promoting the Lewiston-Auburn area (L/A East as it is known locally) as a tourist destination.   Located on the banks of the beautiful Androscoggin River, the Festival quickly became a huge success, attracting crowds of approximately 100,000 visitors annually.  

The river, with its backdrop of the rocky Great Falls, provides a picturesque setting for the thirty to forty Balloons which visit annually, including some special shape balloons.
Launches are scheduled for 6 am and 6 pm daily, Friday through Sunday, weather permitting. 

In addition to the balloons, the Festival features 30 different food booths serving everything from soup to nuts, including breakfast for those early morning launches, all run by volunteers from local non-profit groups.  Along the walkway, which spans the river and winds along the edge of the Festival grounds, craft and trade booths invite browsing, and a children’s area entertains toddlers to teens.   Music is provided by many different entertainers, from children’s shows to blues singers, to jazz, pop, and oldies.  A carnival, parade, and various demonstrations and contests round out the weekend events.