Monroe Life Balloon Festval to be held this weekend

VONORE, Tenn. — The 11th Annual Monroe Life Balloon Festival will return to East Tennessee this Labor Day weekend at the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum in Vonore, Tenn.

Enjoy balloon rides, live music, food, games, an inflatable Kid’s Zone, craft and vendor booths. All proceeds of this non-profit event will be donated to the Boys and Girls Club of Monroe County. The two-day Balloon Festival goes from Saturday, Aug. 31, to Sunday, Sept. 1, from 4 to 10 p.m. each day.

Tethered balloon rides will begin at 4:30 p.m. (weather and wind conditions permitting). The finale both nights will be a Balloon Glow set to music with at least 15 colorful hot air balloons, beginning at dusk. General admission tickets for adults are $10, and children under four are free.

The festival features live music from Dusty Leigh Huston. This incredible country-music singer won the 2023 Who’s Hoo Independent Country Music Awards for Entertainer of the Year and Song of the Year for her song “Angry Right Now.” She was also named the 2022 ISSA Female Vocalist of the Year. Her debut EP, Roots & Dreams, has been a huge hit, and she’s hard at work on a new album.

“We are delighted to be bringing back a fall family favorite to East Tennessee,” said Lisa Bingham, publisher of Monroe Life Magazine and owner of The Bingham Group. She is also a long-time supporter of the Boys and Girls Club of Monroe County. “We have some of the most talented pilots in the country. We invite everyone to come out and join in the celebration!”

With so many people in Monroe County and beyond struggling due to inflation, Boys & Girls Clubs are more necessary than ever. Currently, almost 45 percent of parents are unable to pay the Club’s low weekly fees. Nevertheless, at Boys & Girls Clubs of the Ocoee Region (BGCOR), no child is ever turned away—regardless of their financial situation—so donations are required to cover the costs of those families in need.

BGCOR’s Monroe County Director of Events & Donor Relations, Carly Armstrong, explained the importance of the Club’s work: “The Club, for a lot of parents, is a lifeline because it allows them to stay on their jobs up until 7 O’clock if they need to…. They know (their kids) are in a safe, caring environment, and they don’t have to worry about them.” Since the Club stays open until 7 p.m., it helps parents who work odd hours, and serves as an essential service to our community.