Chesapeake Bay Balloon Festival moves from Harford to Pennsylvania

Jason Fontelieu, The Aegis, Bel Air, Md.
Updated ·2 min read

Jul. 24—The Chesapeake Bay Balloon Festival will now take place in Delta, Pennsylvania.

The 7th iteration of the Eastern Shore-originated festival was originally supposed to take place Aug. 4-6 at Cedar Lane Regional Park in Bel Air, but Harford County announced last week it was no longer holding the event, citing safety concerns.

The festival will now take place on the same dates at the Mason-Dixon Fairgrounds at 6988 Delta Road. This is about 20 miles, or a 30-minute drive, from the original location.

Scott Powers, one of the co-owners of the festival, said the organizers were not aware of any issues involving the festival prior to July 7, when they were informed about concerns regarding the festival's offsite parking location.

"To say that we were surprised is an understatement," Powers said.

Powers also said there was never an issue of the safety of the festival.

By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

The Morning Sun

"We have elected to not weigh in to whatever Harford County government is doing," he said, "and just stay focused on producing a great event, and making sure that we're benefiting local businesses and families and agritourism."

Powers also said Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly was wrong to say the festival itself was "canceled."

"It was not his purview to cancel the event," Powers said. "That was [a] pretty unfortunate choice of words."

Powers expressed appreciation to Visit Harford, which is still the title sponsor for the festival, he said.

Matt Scales, executive director of Visit Harford, said: "Even though the Chesapeake Bay Balloon Festival is going to be taking place just over the Harford County line, Visit Harford is still looking forward to bringing in visitors from the festival to Harford County."

Tickets bought for the festival when it was scheduled to be in Harford County are still valid, Powers said. Any vendors or ticketholders wanting a refund can email refunds@chesapeakebayballoonfestival.com to receive the refund within 45 days of the request. Requests for refunds must be made by Aug. 3.

"We love Harford County and its people," Powers said. "We're glad to keep the festival at a location convenient to them and the whole region."