News

July 26, 2011

2012 MIDUSA OHIO CHALLENGE CHANGES DATES

Dates for next year’s MidUSA Ohio Challenge Hot Air Balloon festival have been changed to July 13-14, 2012.  Moving the event one weekend earlier was necessary due to a change in several other balloon competition events.

According to Dr Mark Frazer, Pilot Committee Chair, “The 2012 National competition in Longview, Texas, moved to an earlier date which caused a ripple effect along the line of events leading up to the Nationals. The best balloon pilots want to compete in as many events as possible to build up their points totals and be eligible for the Nationals which invites only the top 50 competitors.  So, we will go one week earlier since our event is one of the best competitions available.”

Maria Langendorf, Event Chair, said, “Not only will the date be changed, but there will be several tweaks of the operation as well, such as premium parking available inside the park, and special events to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the event. Parking for those with Handicap parking placards is already inside the park. This new level of parking will allow others to pay a premium fee and have that same close-in parking.”

For more information about the 10th annual MidUSA Ohio Challenge event next year on July 13-14, 2012, visit the website at www.midusaohiochallenge.com.

July 6, 2011

SKYDIVERS AND SPECIAL SHAPE BALLOONS KICK OFF MIDUSA OHIO CHALLENGE HOT AIR BALLOON FESTIVAL

To give a “heads up” to the Middletown area, two special shape balloons will fly over the  City of Middletown on Thursday evening, July 14, weather permitting. The Purple People Eater and Smiley will join together in a fly-over on the eve of the MidUSA Ohio Challenge Hot Air Balloon Festival to be held on Friday, 4-10 pm, July 15; Saturday 7-11 am and 4-10 pm, July 16; and Sunday 7-11 am July 17.

StartSkydiving.com will kick off the festivities with the annual Friday morning VIP tandem jump.  This year’s honored guests are four members of the US Army National Guard units stationed on S Main Street in Middletown.

In past years, the honored tandem jumpers have been police officers, high school football players, grandmas, wounded veterans and school administrators. Many of the StartSkydiving team and Team Fastrax, the performing jumpers during the MidUSA Ohio Challenge, are also military veterans and are always anxious to thank those who keep America free.

Maria Langendorf, chairperson of the Challenge, said, “The flyovers and jumps are a most unusual way to kick off an event. We thank our friends in the air for this spectacular way to begin a very special event.”

The 9th annual MidUSA Ohio Challenge will include the hot air balloon competition flights, skydiving demonstrations, circus workshops and aerial performances, a classic car show, arts & crafts, festival foods, carnival rides, trackless train ride, balloon glows, music by WGRR’s own LunaMan on Friday evening and an engaging performance Saturday night with music by the dueling pianos.

Admission is $3 for adult walk-ins (children 12 and under FREE) OR $8 per carload.  Parking is at the Middletown Regional Airport with free shuttle service to the festival grounds in Smith Park.

For more information and up-to-date schedule, visit www.MidUSAOhioChallenge.com or call 513-705-1770.

June 12, 2011

BALLOON FESTIVAL SPONSORS GET INVOLVED

The 9th annual MidUSA Ohio Challenge Hot Air Balloon Festival involves more and more of the sponsors in festival activities.

The presenting sponsor MidUSA Credit Union maintains a booth on site raising money via a raffle to help fund children’s cancer research.

Middletown Community Foundation will staff a Welcome Booth near the shuttle entrance to the festival site offering wrist bands for children on which the parents can write contact information, just in case the little ones get separated from the adults.

Grace Baptist Ministries will be providing some of the shuttle buses and Middletown Christian Schools Foundation will serve up a pancake breakfast on Saturday morning from 8 to 10:30 am..

StartSkydiving.com will, once again, “drop in” with their professional skydivers.

Miami University Middletown will offer a kite flying demonstration and help children learn to fly the kites available on-site.

Middletown Public Library will staff the Children’s Discovery tent with free games and activities.

Gentle Breeze takes folks for tethered balloon rides, weather permitting during the morning and evening flight times.

MidUSA Ohio Challenge was chosen by the Butler County Visitors Bureau this year to extend the advertising reach with their ads to more than double the advertising usually done by the Challenge which is possible only through a grant from the Middletown CVB.

Some sponsors provide their product, equipment or extend discounts to help keep the festival costs down. Digital Visuals makes all the signs. Dillman Foods delivers fried chicken for the sponsor/pilot dinner. Kleingers & Associates loans their high tech equipment and expertise to measure pilot competitions.  Alliance Printing will print the Official Program Guide. Atrium Medical Center is sponsoring the on-site emergency first aid service. Rumpke does what Rumpke does with trash and portable toilets. And, Berns allows Challenge to piggyback on their I-75 signage.

In addition, most sponsors help promote the event through their own newsletters, in-house signage and promotions.

Maria Langendorf, chairman of the event, said, “We find that our sponsors not only invest in the MidUSA Ohio Challenge with their cash, which helps defray the cost of producing the event, but they are becoming more and more involved with the diverse activities at the event. They bring their own touch to a popular regional festival which makes it even more unique. It’s this combining of talent and local product that makes this festival possible and affordable for families.”

For more information visit www.MidUSAOhioChallenge.com  or info@ohiochallenge.com or 513-705-1770.

January 6, 2011

MIDUSA CONTINUES AS PRIMARY SPONSOR OF 2011 HOT AIR BALLOON EVENT IN MIDDLETOWN

For the 9th year, the primary sponsor of the MidUSA Ohio Challenge Hot Air Balloon Festival will be MidUSA Credit Union (formerly MidFirst Credit Union). The 2011 event will be held Friday, July 15 from 4 to 10 pm, Saturday July 16 from 6 to 9 am and from 4 to 10 pm and on Sunday 17 from 6 to 9 am.

"MidUSA feels privileged to be a part of the Ohio Challenge again this year," says MidUSA Credit Union President & CEO James C. Miles. "We have sponsored this event for 8 years and it has been an amazing journey watching this challenge evolve and grow into the event it is today."

MidUSA Ohio Challenge chairperson Maria Langendorf said, "We are very happy to continue our relationship with MidUSA. They have offered the stability of consistent support from the beginning."

In fact, most of the 60 annual sponsors continue to invest in the event held at the Smith Park/Middletown Regional Airport complex in downtown Middletown.

Thirty-five or more hot air balloon pilots are expected to compete for the Ohio Challenge crown. Team Fastrax Skydivers, live entertainment, carnival rides, food, arts and crafts and more will be a part of the event.

Food and Art and Craft Vendor applications will be available early in 2011 via the www.MidUSAOhioChallenge.com website.

Additional information will be available on the website and via 513-705-1770.

July 20, 2010

$3.8 MILLION ECONOMIC IMPACT FROM  HOT AIR BALLOON EVENT

Attendance totaled an estimated 59,652  at the 8th Annual MidFirst Ohio Challenge held over the July 16-18, 2010 weekend.  Due to extreme temperatures and high humidity, the total attendance was down 12% from the 2009 figures of 67,825 people watching the hot air balloon launches, Team Fastrax skydivers and other on-site activities at Smith Park/Middletown Regional Airport in downtown Middletown.

Surveys of guests on site revealed that 42% were from the immediate area, 12% came from other states and 17% drove more than an hour to get to the festival.

While not all figures are available yet, the indication is that an increasing number of people get their information about the event from the Internet (25%) and Newspaper 16%.  Many families make it a traditional summer outing (33%) and word of mouth is still a very popular way to spread the word (22%).

Using a conservative multiplier, it is estimated that the event caused a  $3.8 million economic impact – including not only what guests spend on site, but gasoline, restaurants, hotels, retail purchases, taxes paid, cost to put on the event and supplies vendors purchased for booths.

One, often overlooked, benefit is the addition to the treasuries of the 13 non-profit organizations who provide services and/or offer food for sale on site.

Organizers are pleased with the numbers and will use survey results to help plan the next year’s event.  The 9th annual MidFirst Ohio Challenge hot air balloon festival will be July 15-16-17, 2011.

Lost and Found items from the 2010 event will be held at the Chamber of Commerce, 1500 Central Avenue.