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Hot air balloon festival returning to Sussex County in Sept.

Balloons Over Sussex Festival
For 13 years, hot air balloons flew high every year over Milton in Sussex County - courtesy of the Hot Air Balloon Festival.

Hot air balloons will once again be flying high over Sussex County come September, with the return of the Hot Air Balloon Festival:

 

The last time the festival brought hot air balloons over the skies of Sussex County was in 2001, when hot air balloon aficionado Dr. Charles Wagner of Milton ran the event.

When Dr. Wagner became ill, the festival died off. But now, it’s making a comeback with his help.

“The Sussex County Academy (of Arts and Sciences) called me and said they’d like to do a new fundraiser for them. And Georgetown is a great location,” said Wagner.

Dr. Wagner is now working with event organizer Gina Derrickson to bring the event to the Delaware Coastal Business Park behind the Georgetown Airport September 14 and and 15, 2019.

 

"We will have hot air balloons and they will be available for rides; we’ll have tethered rides. The balloon walk-about. There will be crafters and artisans and food trucks and entertainers,” Derrickson said.

Derrickson says they are also planning for a mass ascension of up to 15 hot air balloons.

 

“Through the help of Dr. Wagner we have contracted Friendship Hot Air Balloon (West Friendship, Maryland); they are a company that is helping us bring the balloons in to town. So each balloon is owned by an individual person.”

 
You can get more information about the Festival here.

 

Kelli Steele has over 30 years of experience covering news in Delaware, Baltimore, Winchester, Virginia, Phoenix, Arizona and San Diego, California.