Deflation...

Lack of funding grounds New Zealand’s greatest little hot air balloon festival

The very popular Levin hot air balloon fiesta Lift Off Levin, held over Easter weekend since 2005, has been cancelled for lack of funding.

“It is with great regret that we are forced to axe this year’s fiesta, which would have been the 8th year of bringing more than 20 hot air balloons and their pilots to the town, colouring the skies in four days of events,” says Lift Off Levin event manager and flight director Denis Hall.

The Levin Hot Air Balloon Society had made strenuous efforts to raise the necessary funding but had no success. Lift Off Levin relies hugely on the community to help it run successfully, from volunteer crew to traffic management and funding, “Naturally I am very disappointed, and we believe that the people of Levin and the balloonists will feel the loss. I originally started Lift Off Levin to be an event for balloonists, by balloonists - a fun event without the pressures of the larger fiestas. Pilots and their families have returned here year after year because they have enjoyed the real community feel of the event,” said Mr Hall.

The Levin event was renowned for its good weather and morning and evening flights.

”The event has been hugely embraced by the public for its colourful and challenging events including the balloons towing little boats across the lake, the balloons being flown into giant skittles and pilots taking an entire brass band up to perform inflight.”

Lift Off Levin also took the balloons to Wellington for a nightglow on Oriental Bay beach in 2008 and Balloons at the Basin Reserve – another nightglow in 2009.

The decision to cancel had not been taken lightly given the huge popularity of the event and the support it received from Horowhenua and Wellington residents, and visitors further afield, said Mr Hall.

For the past five years, the core funding to ensure the event’s success has come from the Horowhenua Community Trust.  This local trust was distributing around $950,000 annually directly to Horowhenua community organisations. Late last year, the Horowhenua Community Trust ceased to exist. Their sources of funding are now being controlled by a Wellington gaming organisation. Unfortunately Lift Off Levin balloon fiesta could not fully comply with the Wellington-based trusts funding rules, said Mr Hall.

While being left with little choice but to cancel this year’s events, the Levin Hot Air Balloon Society has decided unanimously to begin immediately looking at new fundraising avenues to try to secure a Lift Off Levin fiesta for 2013. – By Tanya Katterns

For further information contact event director Denis Hall 06 3679991 or 0299737733