The Steering Committee of the 2024 Centralia Balloon Fest held its first meeting on Tuesday, March 12 in the Centralia Chamber of Commerce conference room.

Led by Balloon Fest Chairperson, Rob Jackson, the meeting served as a launching point for this year’s event, with committee members both seasoned and new volunteering their time to make the balloon festival’s 35th outlining one to remember.

Jackson unveiled this year’s poster design and license plate, with all committee members receiving a complimentary Balloon Fest mug for their continued hard work, and this year’s commemorative pin.

The big announcement was this year’s entertainment, which includes “Taylor Made a Tribute to Taylor Swift” headlining Friday evening; country music artist Kaylee Rose, performing Saturday afternoon; and “American Idol” alum, Josh Gracin, headlining Saturday night.

Jackson also announced the activation of the Balloon Fest’s online store through Winning Edge, featuring a variety of Balloon Fest branded shirts, hoodies, polos, and hats, at centraliaballoonfest.itemorder.com.

After checking in with the head of each subcommittee, it was evident the 35th anniversary of Centralia’s largest event was off to a fast start, with a reported 64 out of 100 craft vendors, 14 out of 20 food vendors, 27 out of 35 pilots, and three special shapes already planning to attend.

“Thank you. It’s you guys that make my job easy. This is our biggest event, not just for Centralia but for the region,” said chamber director Marcus Holland, who advised the data software Placer.AI estimated 43,000 people in Foundation Park during the 2023 Balloon Fest.”

“When we look at other events that are like ours, we are by far larger when we look at the three days. We’re adding to this event like we have never seen before, or we haven’t seen in a long time. It’s a big undertaking, but this community really benefits from it.”

The next steps for the Centralia Chamber of Commerce are to finalize sponsorships, contracts for services, and solidify all participating vendors and hot air balloon pilots.

“We are ahead of schedule for March, but we still have a lot of work to do before the event.”