QuickChek's Balloon Festival Sponsorship Flies for 23rd Year

READINGTON, N.J. — QuickChek Corp. will return as the title sponsor of the annual New Jersey Festival of Ballooning for the 23rd consecutive year in 2015. This event is the largest summertime hot air balloon and music festival in North America.

The Whitehouse Station, N.J.-based convenience store chain's support is the longest-running sponsorship of any U.S. festival, according to the announcement.

"The balloon festival is our No. 1 branding event," said QuickChek CEO Dean Durling. "It has proven to be a great way to introduce consumers to our brand, either onsite or in the months leading up to the festival in July. As the neighborhood shopping destination close to where our customers live and work, we enjoy partnering with our vendors to provide consumers with attractive offers in our stores, from exciting dining options to significant savings on festival tickets."

QuickChek has extended its sponsorship of the three-day event into a nine-month-long partnership, the retailer said. Marketing programs and in-store branded promotions with vendors drive additional foot traffic into stores, which also serve as the festival's exclusive retail ticket outlet. This creates savings opportunities on food, beverages and festival tickets in the months leading up to the event.

Festival attendees also can visit a 2,700-square-foot, air conditioned replica QuickChek store at the festival, where they can enjoy custom-made oven-toasted subs, premium salads and wraps, breakfast sandwiches, hot and iced coffees and frozen drinks. The enormous hospitality tent provides an opportunity to relax in between balloon ascensions and headlining concerts.

"This has been a true partnership from day one," said New Jersey Festival of Ballooning Executive Producer Howard Freeman. "We share the same goals, the same sense of family, of doing well by doing good. We're proud to produce the greatest event of its kind in the world while raising funds for, and the spirits of, our local communities."

Since QuickChek and The Festival Group came together in 1993, the festival has raised more than $2.4 million for local charities, nonprofit organizations and children's hospitals.

Festival tickets with savings of up to 43 percent go on sale at all QuickChek locations on Memorial Day. Tickets and additional information are also available now at www.balloonfestival.com. 

QuickChek operates 140 stores throughout New Jersey and New York.