QuickChek balloon fest: Bands, flight times, ride info

May the Force be with you at this year's QuickChek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning, which takes place Friday, July 24 to Sunday, July 26 at the Solberg Airport in Readington.

And it will, thanks to the festival's debut of the Master Yoda balloon.

"It's the first time Yoda's going to be east of the Mississippi," said Howard Freeman, executive producer of the fest. "Between that and Darth Vader, Star Wars fanatics will be very happy."

A convergence of polar opposites of the force, I detect? Yoda is 62 feet high and 92 feet wide and weights 265 pounds, while Darth is 86 feet tall, 69 feet wide and weighs 640 pounds, according to www.darthvaderballoon.be. Vader and Yoda are both owned by Belgian balloonists Benoit and Michel Lambert.

You can't miss the new Yoda. He's green with big ears.

Also new this year is a a 121-foot-tall brightly colored seahorse; Baby Blue, a giant blue whale; Baby Dino, a hatching baby dinosaur; and a 85-foot-tall smiling Piko balloon from Quebec, Canada.

There will be about 100 balloons in all and more than 1,000 people taking balloon rides.

"We expect 162,000 of our closest ballonistic friends here," Freeman said. "If you inflate it, they will come."

It's also the year of the guitar at the balloon fest, Freeman said, thanks to shows from Don Felder of the Eagles on July 24; Kansas on July 25 and the Grammy winning Tedeschi Trucks Band, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings and guitarist Doyle Bramhall II on July 26.

"These guys are the finest musicians we've ever had at the festival," said Freeman, who booked a then-unknown Susan Tedeschi for a festival 16-years ago. "You're going to see the best balloons, the best guitarists and the best singers."

Disney star Sabrina Carpenter, of "Girl Meets World" fame, will keep the kids and the tweens happy on July 25.

"We'll be giving out ear plugs to the parents so they don't have to hear the screams," Freeman said.

There's also plenty of food, rides, amusements, acts and a human cannonball, too.

The best time to arrive? Early. There are ascensions at 6:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. on July 25 and 26. There's also a 6:30 pm. on July 24.

"If you come Saturday at 6 p.m., it's going to be like going to a Giants or Jets game — there's going to be traffic," Freeman said. "The smart people come early because it's the most beautiful sight, the balloons over the spiraling acres in the morning. Getting here at 6 a.m. is a commitment, but you beat the heat and you beat the crowds."

Chris Jordan: cjordan@app.com.

QUICKCHEK NEW JERSEY FESTIVAL OF BALLOONING

WHEN: 1 to 10 p.m. Friday, July 24; 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, July 25; 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, July 26

WHERE: Solberg Airport, 39 Thor Solberg Road, Readington

GENERAL ADMISSION: $24 until July 23/$35 at the gate (includes lawn seating for concerts); $10 until July 23/$15 at the gate for ages 4 to 12; free for kids 3 and younger. Tickets can be purchased at QuickChek stores. Concert seating prices range from $59 to $135.

INFO: 800-HOT-AIR9 or balloonfestival.com

CONCERT SCHEDULE

Don Felder, 8 p.m. July 24; Sabrina Carpenter, 1 p.m. July 25; Kansas, 8 p.m. July 25; Wheels of Soul Tour with Tedeschi Trucks Band, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings and Doyle Bramhall II, 1:30 p.m. July 26.

BALLOON RIDES

INFO: Rides in one of the 10 balloons at the fest's five mass ascensions are $225 per person in the morning, $250 in the evening. Tickets can be purchased at www.balloonfestival.com or by calling 800-HOT-AIR9. Advanced purchase is strongly suggested as space is limited.

Tethered rides are available for $20 per person and can be purchased at the Balloon Ride Tent adjacent to the Balloon Launch Field during the festival.