Classic Balloon Festival founder happy with celebration’s rousing success
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
Published: August 06, 2010
With a celebration that drew about 15,000 people to the Citrus Classic Balloon Festival behind her, it was time for Carla Edwards to relax. Carla, the founder and coordinator of the Citrus Classic Balloon Festival, said the third annual celebration was a rousing success.
And she was relaxing, that is if you consider visiting New Yorak’s NASDAQ for Wednesday’s ringing of the bell by Limoneira President/CEO Harold Edwards, Carla’s husband, taking it easy. In a telephone interview Wednesday, Carla said she is already planning next year’s Citrus Classic Balloon Festival, which this year drew a record crowd to Limoneira’s East Area 1 Soccer Fields July 30-31.
With myriad activities for the whole family book-ended by spectacular balloon displays, this year’s festival drew even heavier media interest than usual before it even started. And that helped account for the crowds that came from throughout Southern and Northern California, as well as from out of state and out of country.
More than two-dozen hot air balloons took part in the festival that featured day-and-night musical entertainment, arts, crafts and collectible vendors, plenty of eateries, a wine and beer garden, and attractions and rides for the kids. The highlight of Friday and Saturday night was the famous Glow of tethered illuminated balloons and the thrill of getting close to the globes of light.
Although Saturday morning’s Hare & Hound Race had to be cancelled due to the thick marine layer that moved in and kept visibility below the mandated 1,000 feet, festival visitors remained enthusiastic.
Carla said many of the comments she heard throughout the festival centered on a dream come true: “There was one comment that was really heartwarming; a lot of people were saying they always wanted to attend a hot air balloon festival,” but wouldn’t have believed it was closer to their home and less expensive than the gala staged each year in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
“Visitors thought we had a lot more going on then they would have expected, had more for the kids to do. We add a little more as we go on and on.”
Although the festival has traditionally been held the last weekend in July, Carla said she is considering perhaps again separating the Sunset Dinner Glow dinner from the main event. But overall, “We added a lot of components for this year and we know there’s a lot of interest in those components.”
Interface Children Family Services of Ventura County benefited from the Sunset Glow Dinner, and “They were thrilled” with the turnout of about 600 guests. And, noted Carla, Interface Executive Director Erik Sternad said the dinner “gave them exposure they could not believe... he was really excited,” especially at the donations to the multi-faceted nonprofit service agency’s offered on the spot.
Service clubs worked the event and found themselves “exhausted... the parking lots with the number of people coming in and out” were busy, including starting at 5 a.m. Saturday when they opened, but, said Carla, “there were no real clinches. I spoke to people as they came in and out and they were pretty happy with the parking and the shuttle structure.” She worked with the Santa Paula Police Department for six months on the logistics of the event, and “For the most part all the parking and buses worked according to plan.”
During festival weekend Santa Paula restaurants reported being jammed, sightseer foot traffic was up in the downtown, and local hotels were entering guests who had booked accommodations way in advance. It was good for everybody, and the third year of the festival showed continued improvements and additions: “Little by little,” said Carla, “little by little.”
