Amitesh Kumar

Review of Quick Chek New Jersey Festival...

Undoubtedly the best hot air balloon festival in N...

Undoubtedly the best hot air balloon festival in New England

This was on my list since 2016. This year also I would have missed it, had it not for the newsletters. And I made no second thought and went ahead with bookings.

At the festival, it was just amazing. Ample parking, arriving early ensured parking right near the entry point. They do not allow outside food or drinks except if you have allergies.

Right after entry was PlayStation truck and my son did not lose a second hopping in the fun. I wandered around to enjoy the vendor offerings. It was awesome, I got useful freebies to tackle scorching heat; like sunglasses, small fan and plenty of drinks all around.

Next came the family fun area and some other covered performances. Those were well managed with plenty of space. Right outside the family fun tent was most amazing setup trampoline . There were 3 superb athletes doing all sorts of acrobatics on the trampoline, totally unseen and unbelievable acts.at about 4:30, tethered rides started and we had first glimpse of how these balloons look. Those are a good cost effective way to get a feel of riding in these balloons.

At 6:30, the center stage shifted to the sky. A normal balloon, a bad guy shaped one, another normal one and within 15 minutes the sky was filled with all sorts of balloons. Amazing scenes unfolded for next 30 minutes. I was overwhelmed with the sightings. The timing is equally good. If you can afford upwards of $250, plan ahead and book a ride, I bet it would be awesome.