2025 Summer Nights (How we have changed from the Balloon Festival.)

Pinetop - Lakeside Talk of the Town

Annie and Rob talk over the Changes from Balloon Fest to the new Pinetop-Lakeside Summer Nights Event.

Pinetop-Lakeside Announces New Focus for Balloon Festival

PINETOP-LAKESIDE, Ariz. – The Town of Pinetop-Lakeside has announced a change in focus for its signature summer event, the White Mountains Balloon Festival. Beginning this year, the event will now be known as “Pinetop-Lakeside Summer Nights” and will place a larger emphasis on live music, food and retail vendors, and family fun. Pinetop-Lakeside Summer Nights will be June 20 and 21, 2025, at Mountain Meadow Recreation Complex, 1101 S. Woodland Road, Lakeside.

Since the balloon festival’s inception in 2018, balloons have taken flight just 33 percent of the time scheduled. The cancelation of flights has been due to weather factors, including unpredictable winds, storms, and a forest closure in 2021. The region is experiencing its driest winter on record, and event organizers are anticipating the possibility of another forest closure this summer. The U.S. Forest Service has implemented forest closures in the area four times in the last 15 years: 2011, 2014, 2018 and 2021.

“We are excited to pivot from the balloon festival to a music- and food-focused event for the entire family,” said Pinetop-Lakeside Mayor Stephanie Irwin. “The event will now be two days and will feature more bands, more food and retail vendors, a beer garden, and hopefully will still include evening balloon activities. The biggest change with the event is the elimination of morning balloon flights and related activities. With the extremely dry conditions and the strong possibility of a forest closure that would prevent balloons from flying anyway, we think this is the right time to pivot to a new focus.”

Mayor Irwin emphasized that the evening portion of the event will be very much as it has been In previous years, but with even more bands and vendors. For more information on Summer Nights, Contact Community Services Director Tony Alba at 928-368-8696, ext. 240.

You can use the contact information below for more information about this show or any other.

For the Town Website - https://www.pinetoplakesideaz.gov/

To Call Town Hall - 928-368-8696

To Find the Contact Information of other departments - https://www.pinetoplakesideaz.gov/152/Contact-Town-Offices

To contact Rob - [e-mail]