Balloons & music festival

The Metro NY Balloon & Music Festival will surely reach for the sky.
Billed as the biggest event to hit Long Island this summer, the region-wide attraction will feature hot air balloons, a big top circus, an extreme sports expo, skydiving, and more.
It will be held at Brookhaven’s Calabro Airport from Friday, August 10 to Sunday, August 12.
“It is wonderful to have an event of this magnitude in the Town of Brookhaven,” said Town Supervisor Brian X. Foley. “This festival will attract families from across the Metropolitan New York area and provide them with thrilling and fun entertainment.”
The highlight of this event is the hot air balloon extravaganza. There will be more than 50 crafts from all across the United States - some in spectacular shapes - as well as corporate and sport balloons. Festival visitors can enjoy the show all day long, with bagels in the morning hours, and a barbecue during the “breath-taking early-evening glows and ascensions.”
The festival will also feature performances by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, with special guests Senses Fail and Head Automatica, on Friday August 10; co-headliners Big Head Todd & The Monsters, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd will take the stage on Saturday August 11; and Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo with special guest Lennon will perform on Sunday August 12. Grucci Fireworks finales will follow the Friday and Saturday performances.
The Metro Monster Truck Rally, Team FMX and the Maximum Velocity Stunt Team are promising enough adrenaline-filled high-flying and car-crushing action to keep festival visitors’ eyes glued to the sky.
This exciting lineup of extreme sports exhibitions is the first event of its kind to take place on Long Island in nearly a decade. The metal-machine monsters, including GunSlinger, will crush everything in their path with a deafening roar, thrilling kids, families, and motor sports enthusiasts alike. A death-defying motorcycle stunt exhibition will be the finale of the show.
Tickets for the Metro NY Balloon & Music Festival are available online at www.metronyballoonfest.com, as well as at ticket outlets at select RE/MAX of New York offices, Curves locations, and other locations listed on the festival website.
There are special VIP “Party Like a Rock Star” festival packages and group rates also available. Tickets cost $20 (general advance admission for adults), $12 for children ages 5-11, and children four and under enter for free.
The festival is handicap accessible. The concerts, fireworks and special events schedule is subject to change or cancellation. For more information, visit www.metronyballoonfest.com or call 516-794-4444.