The Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival celebrates 40 years of community

Through the years, Temecula has crafted its identity with its Old Town, wineries and other landmarks, such as Pechanga Resort Casino. The city has even captured the attention of outsiders like “Breaking Bad” actor Dean Norris, a Temecula resident who plans to open a new restaurant in the city and “Saturday Night Live” writers, who wrote a skit based on the area.

However, in the ’80s, Temecula was still very much under development. A U.S. Census Bureau report showed the Murrieta-Temecula population at 10,215 in the ’80s and 27,099 in the ’90s. Community members at the time knew that if they could present visitors with the marvels of their beloved city in the valley, they’d embrace it wholeheartedly.

That’s why the Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival was created and it will now celebrate its 40th anniversary at the Lake Skinner Regional Park and Recreation Area in Winchester on May 19-21.

A Community Affair

Alice Sullivan Meyer, the former CEO of the Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce, was hired full-time in the early ’90s to help with the festival. She credits the ongoing event’s success with volunteer power driven by Temecula residents who continue to put in long hours and provide special skills.

In a recent phone interview, Meyer recalled a volunteer who was an electrical engineer and ensured all the electrical services were up to par for the events. She said he refused payment because he believed in their mission of showing visitors the value of their city.

“It was everyone working together in the community to bring people here, so they could come out and visit Temecula and hopefully one day bring their businesses out here and additional housing and jobs to the area,” Meyer said.

The festival, which started in 1983, put its community assets at the forefront, which featured local music acts, beauty pageants, wines and balloon rides that offered an aerial view of the city. This year’s celebration will continue to spotlight those local aspects, but will host more notable entertainment acts, including country superstar Brad Paisley, classic rockers REO Speedwagon and country artist Scotty McCreery.

Scott Soares, president of the Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival board, said in a phone interview that the festival’s proceeds continue to go back into the community in scholarships and other donations to non-profit groups such as Reach for the Stars Hot Air Balloon Foundation, which provides hot air balloon rides to people with disabilities.

The portion of the proceeds that stay with the city isn’t the only community tradition that lives on. The festival also still accepts volunteers, the foundation that built up the festival and the Temecula community.

“Everyone moved from different areas, but we all wanted to have a high quality of life and that had always been the mission and the importance of everyone working together,” Meyer said. “I really do feel that this is why the community has prospered to what it is today.”

Up, Up and Away

There will be plenty of balloon rides offered during the festival. The balloons will hover above Lake Skinner and the Temecula Valley wineries and vineyards. These balloon rides are only available Saturday and Sunday mornings. They must be reserved on the festival’s website and check-in is at 6 a.m. each morning. Tickets are $300 with a maximum of four people per reservation.