You can feel the excitement building up for this year’s Canowindra International Challenge hot air ballooning festival.
The Challenge will be held from 18-25 April and promises to be bigger and better than ever.
If that’s the case it will be a special event because we’ve seen thousands flock to the Challenge in recent years, particularly for the spectacular light and fire show of the balloon glow on Saturday 22 April.
Cabonne Council has been proud to be a major sponsor of the festival for a number of years.
As in previous years, we have allocated $20,000 from our Events Assistance Pro- gram to the Challenge. With the festival regularly injecting more than $1 million into the Canowindra and Cabonne economy each year, it is a very sound investment. This event continues to go from strength to strength every year, becoming one of the most significant on the State’s tourism cal- endar.
Some of the world’s best hot air balloon pilots will be participating in this year’s Challenge, demonstrating that it is growing in status on the international ballooning calendar.
However, we must remember the success of events such as the Canowindra Challenge doesn’t happen by accident.
The organising committee and volunteers have worked incredibly hard and devoted countless hours of their own time to make this a flagship event that puts Canowindra and Cabonne Country well and truly on the tourism map, not only in Australia but internationally.
I look forward to seeing everybody at the Canowindra Challenge, particularly at the balloon glow and night markets which, I am certain, will be another night to remember.
Cr Ian Gosper Mayor of Cabonne