The annual Balloons Over 66 weekend in Lincoln may no longer have balloons.
In a social media post on Monday, Seth Goodman said the hot air balloon flights he's organized for the city's signature summer festival cannot continue as-is.
"Unfortunately due to the lack of funding, liability, etc., the hot air balloon portion of the Balloons Over 66 Weekend has been canceled for 2026," he said.
Goodman told WGLT it costs $30,000 to $40,000 annually to operate and insure the balloon flights. Lincoln had its first balloon festival in 1988 and the Lincoln/Logan Chamber of Commerce ran it until 2017, when the chamber folded. Goodman and a few others picked it back up in 2019, operating about 35 balloons for the 2025 edition.
Goodman said he's invested over $100,000 of personal savings to keep the event going, but without financial and organizing support from the City of Lincoln, Logan County or a backing organization, "it's just not feasible to pay for/run solely any longer."
"I have really hoped that the city and county would get behind it more in recent years," he told WGLT. "Maybe they will now and if they do, I would still be willing to help."
Messages to Logan County Board Chair and Vice Chair James Glenn and Dale Nelson were not returned.
"They've certainly known that help was needed for years," Goodman said.
In a statement late Tuesday evening, Lincoln Mayor Tracy Welch acknowledged the disappointment of “a balloon event without balloons.”
Welch thanked Goodman for carrying the balloon portion of the weekend since 2019, and said “nobody can blame him for not wanting to risk everything he has worked for his entire life simply to provide entertainment for others.”
Other activities that are part of the Balloons Over 66 Weekend Aug. 28 and 29 will move ahead as scheduled, including Lincoln Arts Institute's annual art fair, the Dock Dogs canine diving competition and live music, vendors, a BBQ cookoff and street food downtown.
In a social media post, the Balloons Over 66 Weekend organizing committee said since reviving the event in 2019 it's "worked tirelessly behind the scenes securing sponsors, organizing logistics and, in many cases, personally contributing financially to keep the event affordable and enjoyable for the community. Each of us shares a deep love for this event and the memories it has created over the years."
The committee said it remains committed to "creating a meaningful and memorable weekend for our community."
2026 also marks the 100th anniversary for Route 66, which Lincoln had projected a desire to capitalize on. In 2025, the city tabbed former Pontiac mayor Scott McCoy to lead tourism in Lincoln. McCoy's track record includes investment in drawing Route 66 road-trippers to both Pontiac and Atlanta, where he also served as director of tourism while that city launched several new attractions.
In an email, McCoy said Goodman had not contacted the city's Office of Tourism.
"I first learned about his decision to cancel the balloon event when I saw it on Facebook," McCoy said, adding he has since reached out to Goodman.
Welch noted the city’s department of tourism is only a year old, and said because the county and city have separate control over tourism, Lincoln only has so much say and resources.
But he said he’s advocated for more involvement from the city council and tourism board, something a Balloons Over 66 committee member told WGLT they had noticed through Welch’s attendance at meetings.
“Quite simply, we did not move fast enough,” Welch said, “and for that I am genuinely disappointed.”
Welch indicated there’s a chance local balloon operators might still be willing to take part this year and said he’s motivated to preserve the city’s signature event.
“I know this news is disappointing,” he said. “However it has brought attention to a conversation that has been avoided far too long. …Right now, our focus should be on working together to ensure the long term success of this event and make sure residents and visitors can still enjoy a great weekend this year.”
