The Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival in Winchester will get underway Friday and run through the weekend, featuring a legendary country band, barbecues, carnival fare and balloon rides overlooking Wine Country.
The event — a tradition going back to 1983 — is slated to open at noon Friday and continue until Sunday evening within the Lake Skinner Recreation Area, just east of Temecula.
“The Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival is one of the region’s longest running festivals and has been a longstanding cornerstone of Southern California’s vibrant cultural landscape,” Event.com President Stephen Partridge said. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to be a part of its continued growth.”
Marquee acts slated to play the venue include Alabama, celebrated for a string of chart-toppers in the 1970s and early 80s, as well as Bryce Leatherwood, Kylie Morgan, Moonlight, The Steeldivers and Western Medicine.
Hot air balloon rides will be going all weekend, lasting about an hour and rising hundreds of feet, providing guests with scenic vistas of the valley, Cleveland National Forest to the west and mountains to the north and east.
All rides are subject to cancellation if the weather turns foul.
Dozens of vendors will be on hand, including a bevy of vintners providing samples of the area’s finest ports.
Some attendees may be under tents or in trailers at the Lake Skinner campground.
There will be carnival rides, line dancing and an array of adult beverages to enjoy.
Festival passes run between $99 and $5,000, depending on what events a festival-goer intends to attend and over what duration. Parking fees are separate from the price of admission.
More information can be found at temeculavalleyfestival.com.