New Jersey Lottery Festival of Ballooning will go on hiatus in 2024

READINGTON, N.J. -- The annual New Jersey Lottery Festival of Ballooning will not be held in 2024.

Organizers announced Friday that they are putting the Central Jersey festival on a one-year hiatus with plans to reimagine and relaunch the festival in 2025.

They attributed the hiatus to rising costs, supply chain interruptions and problems with vendors.

In a statement, festival executive producer Howard Freeman said in part:

"We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the New Jersey Lottery, who not only signed as our new title sponsor just as COVID was taking hold in 2020, but whose support has been unwavering and continues to this day. With the Lottery as a solid foundation, the balloon festival is currently seeking additional investors and partners who would benefit from the event's name recognition, associated brand awareness, its global media coverage, highly coveted family demographics, and community giving, as part of its 2025 relaunch." 

The festival has been held each summer in Readington Township for more than three decades. It is said to be the largest summertime hot air balloon and music festival in North America.