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History's John Grabowski examines the impact of Balloonfest

MEDIA | December 29, 2023
STORY BY: EDITORIAL STAFF

Balloonfest made Cleveland a laughingstock. Did it deserve it?

DefectorJohn Grabowski, the Krieger-Mueller Joint Professor in History, discussed Balloonfest, the United Way fundraiser in 1986 that launched 2 million helium balloons into the sky, causing issues for traffic and an airport as the balloons drifted back over the city and Lake Erie and landed in the surrounding area.