The 38th Year Of The Balloon Classic Was A Success, But Will This Be The Last Time Colorado Springs Hosts The Event?

The Balloon Classic event this Labor Day went well with the exception of winds canceling the flights on Labor Day morning. However another ill wind is blowing that could lead to the Colorado Springs Balloon Classic closing its doors after 38 years and becoming the major ballooning event in the Rocky Mountain area.

The following press release was issued by Colorado Springs Balloon Classic Inc. a couple of weeks before this year’s event. It reads as follows:

It is with mixed emotions we announce that 2014 is the last year this balloon festival will be held in Colorado Springs.

Due to politics within the city, increasingly rigid special event procedures and an onerous 2015 LART (city sponsorship) application, both Colorado Springs Balloon Classic, Inc. (parent company) and Colorado Balloon Classic (local company) have elected to not apply for any 2015 Colorado Springs event permits.

It has been our privilege to have hosted Colorado’s largest hot air balloon festival and the State’s largest airshow for 38 years in Colorado Springs. Colorado Springs Balloon Classic, Inc. and Colorado Balloon Classic remain debt free and will continue their focus on an expanded business plan which includes consulting and organizing events for cities other than Colorado Springs.

Due to a desire to keep the focus on the 2014 event, the Board of Directors and staff are not available for interviews or comments on this subject. This Press Release is issued to advise the public of the future of the balloon festival in Colorado Springs and is for informational use only.

Please visit our website and FACEBOOK page for updates….End of release.

Specific details of why the event is closing down are sparse. Some speculation is that the event is already looking at other locations in Colorado or that the event itself may be sold to another concern. The term, LART, referred to in the press release stands for, “Lodging and Auto Rental Tax," which we understand to be a municipal taxing system for sponsoring public events.

It is reported that a large part of the balloon classic is funded through this system and that the funding system has recently been revised, which led to the statements in the press release regarding politics and revised LART application procedures.

Whatever the reasons, it looks like this year was the last year for the Balloon Classic to be held in Colorado Springs.

(Image from file is not from the Balloon Classic)

FMI: www.balloonclassic.com