How a Celebration Utilizing One Million Balloons Quickly Became a Disaster

Balloons have been a staple in just about every celebration from birthday parties to weddings and even major city events. In fact, balloons were the main theme of an event that happened in 1986 in Cleveland, Ohio. In September 27 of that year, millions of balloons were released into the sky.

But officials never predicted the horrible consequences of their actions.

Over a Million Balloons Were Released

In September 1986, a large crowd formed in Cleveland, Ohio to witness a spectacular sight. It was intended to be a major event as approximately 1.5 million multi-colored helium balloons were scheduled to be released into the air.

But spectators had no idea that this moment would lead to some serious consequences.

Before the Fall

The event was called Balloonfest ‘86 and it was being held by the United Way of America to raise extra cash for charity and to promote their work as do-gooders in the area. The idea was also to pull off this balloon event and break a world record that would have everyone talking.

The Event Took Several Months to Plan

Over a period of several months, Balloonart by Treb, a Los Angeles based company, figured out how to top the previous world record holders by building a large structure that would house over a million helium balloons in Cleveland’s Public Square.

Volunteers Worked Hard to Make This All Happen

On September 26, 1986, approximately 2,500 volunteers started pumping the balloons full of helium and prepping them to be held in a large net that was strung on the top of a 200×150-foot box structure. This would temporarily house the balloons. But many felt like the work was insane.