Spiedie Fest and Balloon Rally

In 1983, a few families got together and argued over who had the best Spiedie recipe in town. Spiedies are small pieces of marinated meat (lamb, chicken, pork or beef) that can be skewered and then grilled. To put an end to their friendly rivalry, they held the first Spiedie Fest Cooking Contests in 1983 and 1984. After a successful contest in 1984, a small committee formed and it was decided to create the first Spiedie Fest Balloon Rally at Otsiningo Park with about 5 hot air balloons, some local music and a small children’s area. The Spiedie Fest Balloon Rally was born! Our goal was simple, to host a safe, fun, affordable event in which our community would be proud.

The first year we had about 4,000 people attending and we were off and running.

We now host what is considered one of the top hot air balloon rallies in the country drawing over 100,000 people each year. Our philosophy remains the same now as it was in 1984; provide a safe, fun and affordable weekend for our community.

Parking for the festival is available at Broome Community College (BCC) at a cost of $5.00 per vehicle. BCC is located on Front Street just north of Exit 5 off I-81. Traffic can also access BCC from Exit 6 off I-81. PLEASE NOTE: No on-site parking will be available at Ostiningo Park.

FREE shuttle buses will be providing transportation to Otsiningo Park from BCC throughout the weekend at the times listed below. Handicap parking will also be provided at BCC & shuttle buses are handicap accessible.