Sky high fun
Saratoga Balloon and BBQ Festival draws big crowds
BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. >> The sixth annual Saratoga Balloon and BBQ Festival drew big crowds to the Saratoga County Fairgrounds over the weekend for some start-of-summer family fun.
About 12,000 attendees visited throughout the three-day festival, which ran from Friday through Sunday at the fairgrounds in Ballston Spa.
Though the weather conditions unfortunately were not safe for the hot air balloons to fly, the festival offered some unique opportunities to see the giant, colorful balloons up close, including at the Saturday night Balloon Glow show.
In case balloons can’t fly, as was the case at all four schedules launches this year, organizers try to provide attendees with plenty of other ways to enjoy the event.
“We’re really trying to create a good sized family-oriented event with a lot to do,” festival organizer Tim Cianciola said.
Eventgoers also experienced live entertainment, children’s activities, helicopter rides, shopping at vendor booths and tasting a variety of authentic BBQ festival fare.
After a successful first year of adding BBQ as one of the event’s main attractions, organizers expanded this portion of the festival for 2019. “That’s been very, very well received,” Cianciola said.
One of the returning food vendors was Altamont-based business Corner Grill BBQ.
“It’s a good one,” chef Bob Santorelli said of the event while cooking up some smoked ribs late Sunday morning, noting that Saturday was busy. “I think we did a good job. I think anybody that ate our stuff was happy, and hopefully we’ll be back next year.”
Most customers tried Corner Grill BBQ’s sampler platter — which comes with chicken, ribs and pulled pork — to get a taste of everything.
A brand new addition to the festival this year was an amusement ride called the Train Time Express, an authentic handcrafted replication of the American 4-4-0 Locomotive.
The recently established Troy-based business, a retirement venture for owners Valeria Bidwell and Lisa Warner, made its official debut at the Saratoga Balloon and BBQ Festival, where the train proved to be a hit with young attendees.
“This is our first event and we’re very excited. I feel like this is a success,” Bidwell said between conducting train rides around the fairgrounds. “The kids were so happy and so much fun yesterday, it was absolutely great.”
Five-year-old Dylan Wieland was having a
blast at the festival on Sunday as he splashed around a pool inside a large inflatable tube. Dylan’s grandmother Debra Wieland of West Milton treated him to a weekend pass at the local event, where he rode a pony, took a trip on the Train Time Express and the pair spent some quality time together.
“I took him at the spur of the movement yesterday and we came back today,” Debra said, happy to see her grandson having so much fun.
Looking ahead to the future, the Saratoga Balloon and BBQ Festival aims to expand in the future, Cianciola said.
“We’ll be here again next year, and hopefully the balloons will fly better, and over the winter we’ll continue to look for different things to add on to keep growing the event.”