Fairview Park is Now Home to Centralia Balloon Fest
The Greater Centralia Chamber of Commerce board of directors voted unanimously to keep Balloon Fest at Fairview Park due to the overwhelming positive responses The Chamber has received since the event. On Monday, September 14 at the City Council Meeting, the move to Fairview Park was made official with another unanimous vote.
“We faced a tough decision this year. It was the Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors desire to move Balloon Fest to a more centralized location—near businesses, retailers, and restaurants. And the feedback was overwhelmingly positive from businesses all over the community that reported increased foot traffic and increased sales, “ said Marcus Holland, Executive Director of the Centralia Chamber. “With the move, we also created a more accessible event with the paved sidewalks and roadways in the park and with the partnership of Fairview Park Plaza having a paved parking lot.”
It is the mission of the Chamber of Commerce to build programs, events, and partnerships to improve the quality of life and improve the business climate in our community. After talking to multiple businesses within the community, they saw a spike in sales during the 2026 Balloon Fest weekend—something that hasn’t happened before in previous years. With the move came a change in budget, creating the opportunity for us to have a free event for the community to attend.
This move wouldn’t have been possible without the support from the City of Centralia. We want to thank the city council, city leaders, the police department, the fire department, ESDA, and public works.
For providing sponsorships, volunteers, and services throughout the event, we would like to thank:
SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital
United Medical Response
Kaskaskia College
Thank you to everyone who attended, sponsored, or volunteered. Because of you, Balloon Fest 2026 was very successful!
We hope to see you next year, in Fairview Park on August 20-21-22, 2027 for the 38th Annual Centralia Balloon Fest.