Riverside County supervisors Tuesday approved termination of a contract with organizers of the Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival due to unpaid bills, ending the possibility of the fest being held at Lake Skinner in Winchester anytime in the near future.
In a 5-0 vote without comment, the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday signed off on the Regional Parks & Open Space District’s request to formally cancel the previous compact between the agency and the Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival Association.
“Termination will result in the immediate return of the Lake Skinner Recreation Area to public use during the annual dates previously reserved for the Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival,” according to a district statement posted to the board’s agenda.
Emails to the festival association were not answered Monday or Tuesday. The event’s previous publicity agent told City News Service she had not been contacted about handling any future events following her work in 2025.
“Local vendors and businesses that were scheduled to provide services at the festival may experience a loss of anticipated revenue,” the Regional Parks & Open Space District stated. “The cancellation may reduce the number of visitors to the immediate area, impacting nearby retail and hospitality establishments that rely on event-driven tourism and foot traffic.”
No formal news release has been issued regarding a 2026 event. In previous years, fest schedules were generally known by early spring. The weekend-long events traditionally have been held in May or June, going back to 1983. No active web portal currently exists for 2026. An online search turned up details only for the 2025 fest, which featured country and rock music acts, hot air balloon rides, carnival fare and vintners selling ports from throughout the region.
County officials said that in May 2023, the board approved a multi-year agreement with fest organizers, clearing the way for annual use of the Lake Skinner site until June 30, 2027. The first signs of trouble surfaced last August, when an invoice seeking $73,883 for use of the county-owned space during the 2025 fest went unpaid. The Executive Office said past-due invoices were then submitted on Oct. 17 and Nov. 2, without any response.
With the addition of interest and penalties, the total now owed is $76,100.
“In addition to the outstanding balance due to the district, the county is aware of outstanding balances for separate service agreements related to the festival, including but not limited to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, fire and several other service providers,” according to the Regional Parks & Open Space District. “Those providers are also attempting to recover the costs incurred for the 2025 event.”
The aggregate amount in arrears was not immediately available.
The current facilities contract with the fest will now formally end on April 30.