The 18th Annual Nebraska Balloon & Wine Festival will return to Elkhorn's Ta-Ha-Zouka Park on Friday, August 16, and Saturday, August 17. The Festival is a showcase featuring award-winning food and wine, shopping, and hot balloon fun for all ages.
Are you a lover of wine? A large selection of wines will be available to taste by the glass or to purchase by bottle. Not a wine connoisseur? Never fear. With something for everyone, beer, seltzer, and non-alcoholic options will also be available.
After filling your glass, make your way to the Marketplace Village. Featuring local vendors and makers as well as nonprofit partners, even the most discriminating of shoppers will be sure to find something to pique their fancy. For those with kids in tow, enjoy family-friendly activities like face painting, bungee jumping, inflatable bounce houses, and obstacle courses in the KidZone. And dance the night away with live music from the Personics on Friday night and High Heel on Saturday night, following opening act, The 70's Band.
While all of that is entertaining, the real show stopper is the hot air balloon launch and nightly Balloon Glow that occur daily, weather permitting. The RE/MAX Skydiving team will also be making a return appearance — jumping from thousands of feet above event goers — along with paragliders hovering above.
Has all the fun made you hungry? Head to the Food Pavilion, featuring delicious foods from Omaha’s best restaurants, food trucks, and caterers including Kebobs, Gyros & Brats, Pim's Thai, Prairie Fire Pizza, Haven Express, Smoking Jays BBQ, Big Red Barn, Greek To Me!, Uncle Earnie’s BBQ, Heavenly Body Catering, Chef Amore Italian, and Javi's Tacos.
If finer fare is more your taste, for an additional fee, enjoy the ever-popular Food and Wine Experience — but be sure to secure your spot fast as sessions sell out each year. Set up classroom style, these interactive sessions feature three courses of expertly paired food and wine prepared and presented by local culinary chefs, vintners, and wine experts.
Said Festival Director Mike Mancuso, “Whether you are a wine connoisseur, wine lover, or simply interested in trying something new, the Food and Wine Experience offers a special interaction with wine tastings by chefs from Carrabba's Italian Grill and Outback Steakhouse. It represents the culinary aspect of enjoying great wine and a fun way to discover life’s simplest indulgences.”
Festival tickets can be purchased at the event entrance for $15.00 or $21.00 per person (depending on ticket type). Tickets for children ages five to 12 are $8.00. Children ages five and under are admitted for free.
The Nebraska Balloon & Wine Festival is for wine connoisseurs and novices alike. Featuring award-winning food and wine, shopping, hot balloon fun, skydivers, paragliders, the KidZone, and live music, there's something for everyone!