Balloon fest: Come on up for the rising

This year’s Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival boasts a newly renovated setting, an array of musical choices, an Xtreme motocross show, and kids’ activities. But there’s one aspect event organizers want to emphasize even more.

“It’s cheap!” crowed Executive Director Carol Popejoy with a laugh. “All this for one low price! Concert tickets are so high these days. We’re trying to let people know you can see top performers here for between $22 and $25.

“The core of the event is the balloons and the wine — those are its heart and soul, but we try to have something for everyone. You’re on your own for any alcohol and food, but everything else is within the ticket price.”

Less than two hours from downtown San Diego, the festival is held at Riverside County Parks’ Lake Skinner Recreation Area. The site recently underwent a $7 million renovation, including the creation of an amphitheater.

“This year is huge for us,” Popejoy said. “It’s a whole new adventure because our main stage area is completely changed — the amphitheater has incredible ambience. The renovated space is having its premiere at our festival.”

On Friday night, the main stage will host country artists, and, Saturday, the rock bands Gin Blossoms and Vertical Horizon and headliner Paul Rodgers. Expect Rodgers, a founding member of two seminal English rock groups, Free and Bad Company, to sing — among others — his popular tunes such as “Rock ’N’ Roll Fantasy” “All Right Now” “Can’t Get Enough” and “Feel Like Makin’ Love.”

Country night will feature a couple of acts with intriguing back stories. Nashville-based Jimmy Wayne, who has had commercial success with songs such as “Stay Gone” and “I Love You This Much,” has been walking “halfway across America” for his “Meet Me Halfway” project. After living in an abusive home and several foster homes, Wayne “aged out” of the foster-child system and became a homeless teen. He began his walk to bring awareness to this issue. Earlier this month, he interrupted the walk for a trip to Sacramento to participate in California’s kickoff event for National Foster Care Month and to promote Assembly Bill 12, which would extend foster care for 18-to-21-year-olds.

The female duo Bomshel wrote the song “Fight Like a Girl” for a friend who died of cancer. The act and its label, Curb Records, partnered with the Susan G. Komen Foundation for last October’s National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Bomshel often performs at cancer-prevention fundraisers.

On Sunday, the smaller Wine Stage will host singer Lucy Woodward and smooth jazz favorite Spyro Gyra. Meanwhile, high-flying (and no doubt higher decibels) freestyle motocross will be at the main stage area.

For the younger set, the Kid Faire has rock-climbing, rides, big inflatables, face painting and more. Entrance is free, but a fee is charged for activities.

Even with all the choices the festival offers, it has not lost its “heart and soul.”

“Balloons and wine kind of go hand in hand down here,” said festival board member Rusty Manning, owner of A Grape Escape Balloon Adventure. “After all, we do balloon rides over wine country. The festival came out of those two strong regional things.”

On Saturday and Sunday, people gather at 6 a.m. to either take a ride or watch the launch. Some may shudder at the early hour, but balloons need the calm air.

“If you’re in a balloon, you’re flying over Lake Skinner, which is fun,” said Manning, whose company oversees and books the flights. For those who would rather stay on the ground, “To see 50 to 60 balloons launch at once is pretty cool.”

In the evening, balloons are earthbound but still are an integral part of the festival.

“We put about 15 balloons in an area near the wine stage,” Manning said. “We light them between 8 to 8:30 p.m. and keep them lit up for about an hour. It’s a cool thing to watch.”

Wine, the second half of the equation, has not been overlooked. In fact, the festival organizers have worked with local wineries to improve the vintners’ area. More than 20 wineries will pour vino through the weekend.

“Last year, we restructured the way the guests came into the festival,” Popejoy said. “We put the wineries under the trees for more shade and made the entrance right through the trees.”

At the Wine & Food Pairing pavilion, local chefs and wineries will offer food-and-wine matchups. Seating hours for pairing session are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday (limited to 76 people per session) and noon-3 p.m. Sunday (limited to 100). Wine & Food Pairing tickets cost $72 on Saturday and $65 Sunday, and include admission to the festival.

Driving to Riverside County from San Diego may be easier than getting in and out of the actual venue. The event has some entrance/exit bottlenecks, an inherent problem for many festivals.

“We can’t widen the roads,” Popejoy said. “There is one way in and out, so it’s a challenge. The best time to come is in the morning; you’ll get right in. Balloons take off early — so if you come in between 6 and 10 a.m., you won’t have a problem. The early afternoon is usually a congested time.”

Now in its 27th year, the festival is known for running smoothly. Popejoy credits the people who volunteer for the mammoth undertaking, which attracts an average crowd of around 40,000. Both this year and last, she noted, there were around 800 people working the event for no pay.

“We have three paid staff — including me — and a volunteer board of directors,” Popejoy said. “I oversee more than 80 volunteer chairmen who are in charge of individual areas. The ones that stick around say that it gets in their blood. They fall in love with it.”

Which is exactly what they hope attendees will do.

TEMECULA HAPPENINGS

Summertime is lively in Temecula, right across the San Diego County line. Here are some of the events worth the drive.

Old Town Temecula Street Painting Festival, Old Town Temecula, (951) 506-5100; temeculacalifornia.com

From June 25 to 27, Old Town Temecula is transformed as more than 100 artists create giant murals on asphalt. In the family area, anyone can pick up a free pastel chalk and get creative. Accompaniment is provided by world-music groups. Finishing with a flourish is an awards presentation for the best murals at 3:30 p.m. Sunday. Part of the festival takes place at the new Temecula Town Square from 6 to 9 p.m. The Ralph Love Plein Air Competition & Auction is held in conjunction with the daytime street-painting festival; its auction and awards are at 4:30 p.m. Sunday.

Thornton Winery Champagne Jazz Series, 32575 Rancho California Road, (951) 699-3021; thorntonwine.com/jazz.html

This venerable series, in its 22nd year, was the first of its kind in Temecula. The beautiful outdoor venue concludes this season with an Oct. 16 performance by Fourplay, featuring San Diego-bred bassist Nathan East. Between now and then, Thornton will play host to such smooth jazz favorites as saxophonists Dave Koz and Mindi Abair, ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro, drummer/singer Sheila E., and singers Jonathan Butler and Bobby Caldwell.

The Merc, 42051 Main St., (866) 653-8696; TemeculaTheater.org

Adjacent to the Old Town Temecula Community Theater, one of the town’s original and restored buildings, the small cabaret-like space called “The Merc” features four musical genres each week: Jazz at the Merc, Thursdays, 7:30 p.m.; Live (Rock) at the Merc, Fridays, 8 p.m. (liveatthemerc.com); Country at the Merc, Saturdays, 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.; and Classics at the Merc (classical music), most Sundays, 3 p.m.

Temecula Valley International Jazz Festival, The Temecula Valley Cultural Arts & Music Center, 27455 Tierra Alta Way, (951) 678-2517.

Running from July 9 to 11, this year’s fest honors the late Ella Fitzgerald, with salutes by Trini Lopez, Ray Brown Jr., Herb Jeffries, Freda Payne, Poncho Sanchez and Arthur Rand.

Dance Moves, Old Town Temecula Community Theater, 42051 Main St., (619) 886-7924; Temeculatheater.org

The 7 p.m. performances, on the third Tuesday of the month, are coordinated by San Diego-based Peter G. Kalivas, in association with Temecula Presents. $5 donation suggested.

Beth Wood