Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival

The Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival, which takes place each year the first weekend in June, was started in 1983 by Walt Darren, a commercial airline pilot and avid balloonist and by Evelyn Harker a veteran event organizer and fund raiser. Evelyn immediately suggested it might “fly” even better if it involved some of the area’s other natural attractions such as wine tasting, culinary presentations and entertainment.

At this time, there were only six wineries in the region. The first Balloon and Wine Festival was launched in the Spring of 1984 and was a monumental success for a town of only 9,000 residents. More than 4,000 people were in attendance that year as 35 balloons were launched from the Rancho California Plaza area off Ynez Road (now Tower Plaza). The balloons flew over the serene pastures surrounding the area and the wine tasting was held in the parking lot of the current Tower Plaza. As the Festival grew, it was moved to its current location at Lake Skinner.

While the theme of hot air balloons and wine has always served to anchor the event, each year new attractions have been introduced. The Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival has become a celebration of life with flavor and is the premier event in the beautiful Temecula Valley Southern California Wine Country.

Follow this link to view more information about the Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival.