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This 1986 Festival Released Nearly Half A Million Balloons Into The Skies Over Columbus

Let’s rewind to the summer of 1986 when Columbus decided to jazz things up with the Hot Air Balloon Festival at Bolton Field.

This wasn’t your average festival—no, they decided to go big by releasing a whopping 400,000 helium-filled balloons. Yep, you read that right. Nearly half a million balloons floated into the sky. It sounds magical, but let’s just say not everyone was thrilled about this idea.

Scheduled from July 12-20, the festival was a mix of high-flying fun and weather woes.

hot air balloons
Columbus Hot Air Balloon Festival. Photo by David. E. Lucas

The skies weren’t exactly cooperative, with rain and storms making an appearance throughout the week. But that didn’t stop the festivities.

hot air balloons
Columbus Hot Air Balloon Festival. Photo by David. E. Lucas

Around 85 hot air balloons took to the skies, showcasing logos from local businesses like Flying Tomato Pizza, Van Wert National Bank, and RE/MAX. Because nothing says “soaring high” like a real estate ad.

One of the main attractions was the epic balloon release.

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Balloons before the big release at the Columbus Hot Air Balloon Festival. Photo by David. E. Lucas

Imagine the sky filled with red, white, and blue balloons, all part of a contest where participants could attach a $1 tag for a chance to win $10,000. The goal? See whose balloon traveled the farthest. Spoiler alert: the winning balloon made it all the way to Canso, Nova Scotia. Quite the journey for a little helium-filled traveler!

balloon release
The balloon release at Columbus Hot Air Balloon Festival. Photo by David. E. Lucas

Now, while Columbus was basking in its balloon-filled glory, another Ohio city was planning an even grander—and messier—event. Just a few months later, Cleveland took things to the next level with Balloonfest ’86. And oh boy, did things go sideways.

Cleveland’s Balloonfest was an attempt to break a world record by releasing almost 1.5 million balloons.

Although the even was viewed positively at the time, over the years, people have grown more critical. The festival was serving as a fundraiser for United Way of Cleveland and all of the balloons were tied by kids in the community looking to break the world record for a good cause. The balloons, instead of drifting away peacefully, were caught in a storm and descended en masse, causing a host of problems.

A regional airport near Cleveland had to shut down, traffic was disrupted, and tragically, the search for two missing fishermen was hindered because of the sheer number of balloons covering Lake Erie. The event ended up being an environmental disaster and a logistical nightmare.

Looking back, the Columbus Hot Air Balloon Festival’s balloon release seems almost quaint in comparison.

balloon release
The balloon release at Columbus Hot Air Balloon Festival. Photo by David. E. Lucas

Despite the weather issues and questionable environmental impact, it didn’t quite reach the chaotic levels of Cleveland’s balloon disaster. But it does serve as a reminder that sometimes, bigger isn’t always better. Launching hundreds of thousands of balloons into the sky might look cool for a moment, but the aftermath? Not so much.

So here’s to 1986, the year that the two largest cities in Ohio decided to make our fun everyone else’s problem. It’s a nostalgic look back at a simpler, albeit misguided, time when balloon releases were all the rage—before we fully grasped the environmental havoc they could cause.