Hot air balloons. Image courtesy: Steve and Nancy Woller.
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — The Taste n’ Glow Balloon Festival in Wausau is in limbo after the festival organizers couldn’t raise funds to purchase the land that’s been used for parking in previous years.
According to a Facebook post, the 90-acre plot had been donated for parking in previous years. But last year, the owner put the land up for sale. Organizers tried to raise the funds to purchase the land but came up short.
Founders Steven and Nancy Woller add that they won’t be involved in the event for 2024 if there is one.
“We worked hard to raise funds to purchase his property. We came short in our fund raising needs and can’t purchase the property,” said a post from organizers.
Balloons have graced the skies of Wausau since Steve Woller started the Wausau Balloon Rally in 2002. Everything came…
Posted by We Love Ballooning on Thursday, January 25, 2024
Shortly after the Post Wausau Events Executive Director Alissandra Aderholdt released a statement saying the group was “saddened to learn [the event] may not happen in 2024.”
The statement continued:
Shortly after Steve Woller started the Wausau Balloon Rally in 2002, Wausau Events partnered with Steve to produce what would become the Balloon & Ribfest, an annual event that became part of Wausau’s History and grew each year until the Covid Pandemic in 2020.
Wausau Events was a sponsor of the shuttle buses in 2021 as the event transitioned, and this gave Wausau Events the opportunity to launch the Wings Over Wausau Airshow in 2022, thus adding another large event for the community to enjoy. We hope a solution presents itself to allow the Taste & Glow Balloon Fest to continue in the greater Wausau Area, and appreciate Steve’s many years of dedication and partnership.
RELATED: Taste n’ Glow Balloon Festival Brings Economic Boom
The event quickly became a staple on the Central Wisconsin calendar, bringing tourists from across the United States to the area. According to data released by Visit Wausau, the 2022 event featured guests from 48 of the 50 US States, with only Wyoming and Vermont left off the board. Credit card transactions from European accounts were also reported during that event.
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