Hot air balloons. Image courtesy: Steve and Nancy Woller.
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — A new version of an old favorite returns to Central Wisconsin this weekend.
The inaugural Taste ‘N Glow Balloon Fest is set for this weekend, July 9th through the 11th at the Trailmates Snowmobile Club grass drag in the Town of Stettin. The event was put together by local hot air balloon enthusiasts after Wausau Events canceled its “Balloon and Rib Fest” for the second time in two years, citing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Two of the driving forces behind the event have been Steve and Nancy Woller, who have been planning it since February of 2021. While the event will feature some old favorites from the previous version like balloon rides and a couple of rib vendors, Balloonmister Steve Woller says the event has a very different feel.
“Now that we’re out in the countryside, for the pilots we’ll have much better places to take off from and to land. You don’t have to deal with Lake Wausau and flying downtown Wausau for the hot air balloon portion of it. That’s the biggest difference for the balloon pilots themselves. … It’s just a much different feel out here. We have a beautiful view. We have a big pond in the middle of it all. You’ve got to come out to experience it.”
Part of that experience will be a renewed focus on local food vendors and non-profits. In a previous interview with WSAU News, Nancy Woller says the focus on local vendors is to help support businesses that have taken a hit during the COVID-19 outbreak by including food trucks, local restaurants, and caterers.
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Now that final plans are put together, Steve Woeller says there will be around 30 local vendors to support along with several non-profits. “We have 30 local food vendors, and there’s one or two of them that will be rib vendors as well. So it’s called Taste of Marathon County and Balloon Glow. We’re trying to keep it local here. We have 18 non-profits benefiting from this. We’re asking for a $1 donation at the gate or a canned good to go to local food pantries.”
Both Friday and Saturday will have full schedules according to Woellner. Some of those include kids’ activities like crafts and a bouncy house, a kite show, a laser show sponsored by the City of Wausau, and tether rides on balloons where half of the funds raised will go to local non-profits Blessings in a Backpack and the Honor Flight. But if you can only make it to one day, Woellner recommends coming out on Saturday.
Participating balloon pilot Pete Asp says that for those coming out to the balloon flights, they can choose between a dawn or dusk show. “The ballooning is done just after sunrise or just before sunset. So people need to be here if they want to see balloons in the air, they’ll need to be here, what time is sunrise? ‘We’re looking at about 6 a.m.’ About 6 a.m. and the uh flight in the afternoon around 6:30 p.m.”
Taste ‘N Glow will begin on Friday, June 9th, and run until Sunday, June 11th at 10:30 a.m. with a pancake breakfast.
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