STATESVILLE, N.C. — The Carolina BalloonFest must find a new home after this year, officials announced Thursday.
The festival, held annually in Statesville, is being forced to move due to a planned expansion of the Statesville Regional Airport, according to The Charlotte Observer.
Organizers say they need 200 acres to lease north of Highway 150, since Charlotte Douglas International Airport is to the south.
The event is the second-oldest continuously operated hot air balloon festival in the country, next to the one in Albuquerque. The Carolina BalloonFest draws about 40,000 people each year.
The year’s show will mark 51 years of the event. It’s scheduled for Friday, Oct. 16, through Friday, Oct. 18.