PLAINVILLE, Conn. (WTNH) — After a three-year hiatus, the hot air balloons will return to the sky at the annual Plainville festival.

The Plainville Fire Company Hot Air Balloon Festival, which has run since 1984, shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, after three years, organizers announced it would return on Aug. 25 and 26 at Norton Park.

Festivalgoers can expect a “balloon glow,” fireworks display, two balloon launches, a car show, an arts and craft show, and musical guests. Food and other vendors will also be on-site.

Town Council Chair Kathy Pugliese said numerous residents, members of the Town Council, and town staff approached her, interested in the festival’s return.

“The Town is proud to partner with the Plainville Fire Company in organizing this festival that has been a staple of the Plainville community since 1984 and has—in recent years—become one of the largest and last remaining balloon festivals in the Northeast,” Pugliese said.

The festival is currently seeking volunteers here.

For more information regarding the 2023 event, click here.