| 5 September 2011 - Damp & windy but spirits unbowed! | |
| The 2011 event has now finished. Unfortunately, the great British weather had a heavy hand on the event this year, with strong winds preventing flying on all but the informal Friday evening launch and the Sunday morning Mass Ascent. The organisers would like to thank everyone that attended the event - both balloonists and the public - as well as all the trade stands and of course the event sponsors, Robert Wiseman Dairies! We will be posting again here once the final figures are in, but we hope to have once again raised a significant amount for the local charities and organisations supported by this entirely charitable fundraising event. |  |
| 30 August 2011 - Up, up and away at the 2011 Media Launch | |
| Tuesday evening saw the Media Launch of the Westcountry Balloon Fiesta and the arrival in Tavistock of the distinctive Robert Wiseman Dairies ‘cow print’ balloon. Some of our balloons rose gently over the Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – and the pictures made it straight back to BBC News for the evening show as well as into regional press. Fingers crossed for similarly good weather this weekend! |  |
| 27 August 2011 - Bibendum is back! | |
| The Michelin Bibendum historic special shape returns to Tavistock this year. The popular Michelin Man balloon is owned by Exclusive Ballooning, long term supporters of the Fiesta. If conditions are right next weekend, Bibendum, registration G-PNEU, will take a brief break from his retirement to wave at our crowds. Standing over 170’ tall and after 14 years service worldwide, it is one of the most notoriously difficult balloons to inflate and tether, but we hope to give him an airing here at his old home in Devon this year. Here he is pictured doing press-ups during his 2007 inflation in Tavistock. |  |
| 25 August 2011 - Another historic envelope confirmed | |
| As part of the event's public interaction during the afternoon sessions, several 'historic' old balloon envelopes will be present over the weekend to be tethered if weather conditions allow. The latest of these to be confirmed is affectionately known as 'Green Onion' and can be seen here appearing at the 2007 Fiesta. |  |
| 22 August 2011 - Two stunning model balloons confirmed as attending | |
| This year's event will see two model balloons attending. These fully functioning moni hot air balloons are hand made by UK balloon circuit regulars Roy & Rita Boyle and are flown by remote control, although they are tethered on a long kite-type line for safety. Look out for them being inflated over the weekend during the 3-5pm public interaction sessions. |   |
| 7 August 2011 - NFU Mutual proud to support 'The Friendly Fiesta' | |
| NFU Mutual are providing and sponsoring the Charity Marquee at this year’s Westcountry Balloon Fiesta. Their marquee is providing space for charities and good causes to raise their own funds from the large number of visitors to our event. With insurance, pensions and investments, you need to feel confident you're getting what's right for you. NFU Mutual has over 300 local branches throughout the UK, it's a way of working locally that NFU Mutual has evolved over 100 years of business. Visit the NFU Mutual's website by clicking here |  |
| 23 June 2011 - BP announced as LPG provider & event supporter | |
| The one thing you need for a hot air balloon fiesta is LPG gas, so we're delighted to announce that BP will be the official LPG supplier after agreeing to become an 'in-kind event supporter' for 2011. BP Area manager Dave Knight has been working closely with representatives from the event for the past few months and both parties are delighted with the new tie-up. It will mean that BP supplies all the gas for the event and will also have its events trailer at the event so people attending the Fiesta can find out more about the services BP offer. Dave commented: "This is one of the best known and popular balloon fiestas in the UK, as well as being the only event run purely as a fund-raiser for local charities. We are therefore delighted to be able to help the Lions and Round Table by supporting the event and helping them raise additional amounts for their charities." |  |
| 15th March 2011 - Press launch of 2011 Event | |
| The official launch of the 2011 Westcountry Balloon Fiesta took place today, with a photo shoot in Tavistock. Joining members of the organisers, the Lions Club of Tavistock and Tavistock Round Table were representatives of the event's sponsor, Robert Wiseman Dairies, together with the Deputy Mayor of Tavistock Cllr Philip Sanders and the Town Crier David Turner. Full details about the event can be found in the official press release, available by clicking here. |  |
| 30th January 2011 - Robert Wiseman confirmed as 2011 Sponsor | |
The Westcountry Balloon Fiesta is delighted to announce that the event will be held once again in 2011 and that Robert Wiseman Dairies is delighted to be confirmed again as the event's main sponsor. |
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| 6th September 2010 - A resounding success! | |
| The 2010 event has now finished after a superb weekend of ballooning centred on the event site in Tavistock. Organisers estimate that almost 10,000 people visited the event over the two days, which saw two mass ascents on the Saturday as well as a Night Glow. Unfortunately, it was too windy on Sunday for any flying, but the public still got to see some tethering and had a chance to get up-close to balloons as never before. |  |
| 17th August 2010 - Follow the Fiesta on Facebook & Twitter! | |
| If you're a regular user of either Facebook or Twitter, then why not become a fan or follow the feed of the Fiesta's latest updates. The Fiesta now has it's own Facebook page and Twitter feed, which can be accessed by clicking the images on the right. |   |
| 30th June 2010 - Charity fundraising opportunity | |
| Calling all Charities! We're offering free spaces in our charity marquee for any local charity or organisation that wants to attend. This will be a great opportunity to raise funds at one of the area's main events of the summer. To download an application form, which includes further details, click here. |  |
| 2nd February 2010 - Event to return after 2 years away | |
The Westcountry Balloon Fiesta is delighted to announce that the event will be returning in 2010 and that, following extensive discussions, Robert Wiseman Dairies is delighted to be confirmed as the event's main sponsor. |
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| 24th April 2008 - Westcountry Balloon Fiesta 2008 cancelled | |
It is with regret that the Lions Club of Tavistock and Tavistock Round Table announce that the Westcountry Balloon Fiesta & Day at the Races has been cancelled for 2008 and 2009. |  |
