The Great Falls Balloon Festival was started in 1992 by a group of civic-minded individuals who saw a need for a community event that would enable various local non-profit groups to raise awareness to their cause, while raising money and promoting the Lewiston-Auburn area (L/A East as it is known locally) as a tourist destination. Located on the banks of the beautiful Androscoggin River, the Festival quickly became a huge success, attracting crowds of approximately 100,000 visitors annually. The beautiful Androscoggin River with its backdrop of the rocky Great Falls, provides a picturesque setting for the thirty to forty Balloons which visit annually, including some special shape balloons. 27th year.