​​​​​​Plano Balloon Festival, Inc. announces Central Market as the new title sponsor for the annual event set for Sept. 18-20, 2020. The three-day Festival, which began in 1980, has grown into the largest hot air balloon event in Plano and within the Lone Star State. The City of Plano is the Official Hot Air Balloon Capital of Texas and hosts more than 90,000 attendees during Festival weekend at Oak Point Park & Nature Preserve.

 

The Festival and Central Market are both passionate about creating unforgettable experiences for people within the community. Central Market initially stepped in as a sponsor of the Kids Fun Zone, then the Plano Balloon Festival Races, and in 2019 served event attendees fresh food, like their signature grilled cheese sandwiches from a food concession booth at the Festival.

 

“For the past 10 years, Central Market has been a key stakeholder with the Plano Balloon Festival as the sponsor of the Kids Fun Zone and on-site food concessionaire.

With the start of a new decade for the Festival, we are excited to showcase Central Market as the Title Sponsor of the Plano Balloon Festival. Thank you, Central Market, for your generous investment and commitment to the Festival, Plano and Collin County; we are most appreciative of your support,” states Plano Balloon Festival, Inc. Executive Director, Jo Via.

 

Foodies know that Central Market is “Really Into Food.” The store that thinks beyond the plate  even whipped up their own hot air balloon “Whisk Away.”  The iconic green and white colors stripe the custom designed envelope. Local pilot Scott Vesely and his crew inflated the new hot air balloon on August 13, 2018 in the parking lot of the Plano location for the festival preview. Whisk Away has since flown in the Plano Balloon Festival and travels to Austin, Houston, and San Antonio for Central Market events.

 

“Central Market makes it a priority to be integrated into the neighborhoods in which we operate and collaborate on local community initiatives,” said Mabrie Jackson, director of public affairs, Central Market/H-E-B.

“The Plano Balloon Festival is the signature event of Plano and beyond. We’re thrilled to be able to increase our sponsorship to the title level this year and support this tradition that brings so much community spirit, beauty and notoriety to our area.”

The Central Market Plano Balloon Festival & Run begins on Friday, September 18, at 4:00 p.m. with approximately 50 hot air balloons and three days of scheduled balloon activities. The Festival is made possible by more than 3,000 volunteers and 50 local non-profit organizations that willingly donate their time in support of this longstanding community event.

 

 

Additional attractions include the KDFW FOX 4 Community Stage, the RE/MAX of Texas Parachute Team. The Spectacular Fireworks Show has been beautifully designed by Pyrotex since 1999. The Plano Balloon Festival Half Marathon, 10K, 5K and 1K races take place on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020, and Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020.  www.pbfraces.org.

 

Read the official press release distributed on February 6, 2020.