Spiedie Fest and Balloon Rally fills Otsiningo Park in Broome County with a spiedie cooking championship, mass hot-air balloon launches and live concerts each summer weekend. Founded in 1983 as a local cooking contest, it has grown into one of the country's largest balloon rallies, drawing more than 100,000 attendees.
Its local food identity and balloon visuals make it a strong Southern Tier event.
The festival began in 1983 as a spiedie cooking contest founded by Paul Van Savage and Rob Salamida, inspired after Salamida was invited to a Chicago rib-cooking competition and decided a local chicken-spiedie contest suited Broome County better
Cartoonist Johnny Hart, creator of the comic strip B
, designed the original festival logo, which still appears on the championship belt awarded to the cook-off winner
Hot-air balloons joined the event in 1985 with about five balloons, and the rally has since grown into one of the top balloon events in the country, alongside the region's signature grilled spiedie, marinated meat skewered and served on Italian bread, a dish with roots in Broome County's Italian immigrant community dating to the late 1930s
The cook-off champion receives a belt bearing the original festival logo designed by cartoonist Johnny Hart
a tradition dating to the festival's earliest years that ties the modern spiedie championship directly back to its 1983 founding
7–9 August 2026
Driving to festival grounds is typical.
Casual summer clothing suits daytime hours, with a light layer for the cooler evening balloon glow viewing; comfortable shoes help for walking across the park grounds between stages and...
For Spiedie Fest and Balloon Rally, keep the basics simple: small bag, charged phone, meeting point and respect for crowd controls.
Binghamton
Official ticket link is available. Confirm access rules before booking.
USD
unknown
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Spiedie Fest and Balloon Rally is listed for 7–9 August 2026. Always re-check the official or local source close to travel.
The festival is listed in Binghamton, United States. The map coordinate is a planning reference, not a guarantee of a ticket gate or exact venue.
3 days is the listed festival span. Add time for arrival, local transport, queues, and any route changes during the event.
Official source linked. Eventisimus separates source confidence from travel suggestions, so check final details before booking.
Binghamton, NY
Medium: 60000
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