LEWISTON, ME – The 32nd Lewiston-Auburn Balloon Festival welcomes Team Fastrax Professional Skydiving Team for daily skydiving performances. Including jumps featuring the largest American flag ever flown under a parachute. These performances are made possible through a generous sponsorship from Debbie Bodwell of Guild Mortgage. Team Fastrax is scheduled to perform daily skydiving demonstrations from August 21st to 23rd during the festival at Simard-Payne Memorial Park, 46 Beech St., in Lewiston. Team Fastrax recently performed as part of America’s 250th birthday celebrations. The Team’s appearance at the Lewiston-Auburn Balloon Festival continues the festival’s “Red, White, and Balloons” theme, honoring the nation’s 250th anniversary.

Team Fastrax has more than 40 active members with a combined total of more than 175,000 skydives. The team is known worldwide as “America’s Skydiving Team.” The team’s largest American flag measures more than 7,800 square feet and can be seen from more than 35 miles away when flown. To fully experience the festival, visitors can take a hot air balloon ride and see Lewiston-Auburn from above during one of the weekend’s scheduled launches. Balloon rides are available for purchase at www.laballoonfest.org and offer festivalgoers a memorable way to take part in the tradition that has defined the event for more than three decades. The Lewiston-Auburn Balloon Festival is free to attend, thanks to the support of event sponsors. The Team Fastrax skydiving performances are included at no additional charge. The Lewiston-Auburn Balloon Festival is Lewiston’s largest event of the year and one of the largest annual celebrations in Maine.

“The balloon festival is one of those rare events where the spectacle in the sky is matched by what happens on the ground with families spending time together amazed by the hot air balloons, residents discovering more about our city, and local businesses feeling the economic impact of one of Maine’s largest annual celebrations,” said City Administrator Bryan T. Kaenrath.