Elgin's third Festival of Balloons not just another walk in the park

Where in the suburbs can you go to see a dozen hot air balloons, inflated and lit up while jazz and classical music plays at a riverfront park?

The answer: Elgin, host of the third annual Fox River Festival of Balloons.

In its third year, the festival is bigger and better, featuring live bands, Elgin food vendors and children's games.

Saturday's food vendors were part of the first annual Taste of Elgin, a takeoff of the popular Chicago event that so many other suburbs have already mimicked.

"I think that we jumped on the bandwagon a little late, but I thought, let's do a taste," said Keri Sheppard, events coordinator for the Community Crisis Center.

The crisis center, which helps victims of domestic abuse and needy Elgin residents, put on the festival in 2006 and 2007.

This year, the crisis center partnered with the city to bring the balloon festival to Festival Park, along the Fox River just north of the Grand Victoria Casino.

"The balloons themselves are very expensive," Sheppard said. "This is a way that keeps our costs down."

The event's organizers said they hoped the event would draw curious residents from around the suburbs.

"We think that it's such a unique event that it has potential to grow," said Barb Keselica, Elgin's special events coordinator.

When the event was held at Elgin Community College in the past two years, it drew about 3,500 people, organizers said.

But with a central location, live music and ribs smothered in barbecue sauce, organizers said they hoped this year's event would draw 5,000 to 7,000 people from the area.

Sheppard said City Councilman Mike Powers and his friend in the balloon business conceived of the festival.

"It started as a conversation in the backyard … and it kind of snowballed and created itself from there," Sheppard said.

The balloons were set to take off from Festival Park at 6 a.m. today.