The Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival has been a stable in Riverside County for over four decades, but its future seemed murky Tuesday after Riverside County severed its ties with the event.
The festival, which has been a tradition for many Southern California families, owes the county tens of thousands of dollars, NBC Los Angeles learned.
Organizers were supposed to get ready for the 42nd festival, but there are no details available about this year’s event online.
The Riverside County Regional Park and Open Space District issued a notice of termination to festival organizers after they failed to pay over $75,000 in unpaid bills.
Paul Thornton, executive producer of the Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival, told NBC Los Angeles over the phone Tuesday that previous owners of the festival had financial hardships, but now the new owners are trying to sort out the debt and reach a new deal with the county to keep the tradition alive.
The three-day festival at Lake Skinner has been growing, according to Thornton, largely because of live music, food, wine and hot air balloon.
The annual event also creates space for local vendors to connect with the community, Thornton added.
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