32 Years Ago, Cleveland Released Over A Million Balloons Into The Sky And Complete Disaster Ensued

The unfortunate title of “The Mistake On The Lake” has long been a thorn in Cleveland’s side. We know the city is fantastic, and we may even chuckle when we hear that unpleasant title, but we acknowledge that it gives us a bad rap. On September 27, 1986, Clevelanders united in an attempt to shake any existing misconceptions and to put Cleveland on the map as one of the nation’s finest cities. However, the event did not go entirely as planned. In fact, the hectic event resulted in complete chaos, and you won’t believe how the destruction unfolded.

At the beginning of the 1980s, Cleveland was home to about 574,000 people, nearly 200,000 more residents than we have today. By 1986, Cleveland was eager to develop a reputation for the bright future its residents were anticipating.

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Hoping to set a world record, Cleveland looked to the sky. Chris Gent/Wikimedia Commons One year prior, Disneyland had set a record for the largest balloon release in the world. United Way partnered with a Los Angeles-based company to release 1.5 million balloons into the sky on September 27. Clevelanders were offered the opportunity to purchase balloons to benefit the local United Way. The goal was to create an incredible sight while generating positive publicity for the organization and its city. Balloonfest '86 took six months of preparation. Standuppaddle/Pixabay The event was slated to take place on the southwest quadrant of Public Square. A gated-off structure the size of a city block was topped with a giant mesh net to restrain the balloons prior to release, and 2,500 students worked to fill balloons with helium. Unfortunately, it began to rain and the balloons had to be released early. At about 1:50 p.m., the balloons were released. The Cleveland Press Collection/Special Collections, Cleveland State University Library As they escaped from the net, they blossomed in an artificial cloud and surrounded Tower City, rose into the sky, and collided with cool air. The event was meant to be an innocent fundraiser, but nobody anticipated the potential consequences. YouTube / Topic Crowds had eagerly gathered to witness the event, but there seemed to be little concern for the pollution that the balloons would inevitably create. As the balloons descended from the sky, they littered Northeast Ohio. This image from a 1986 news clip shows the incredible magnitude of balloons that were released. YouTube / Topic Burke Lakefront Airport shut down for half an hour after balloons clogged the runways. A blizzard of balloons descended upon traffic, blinding drivers and causing accidents. The balloons floated north, bombarding Lake Erie and the Canadian shore with waste. On the day of the event, two fishermen had gone missing on Lake Erie. Flickr/Chris D 2006 The Coast Guard faced an unspeakably difficult search for them as hundreds of thousands of balloons collected in the lake. They gave up their search, and two bodies eventually washed ashore.

You can watch the whole event unfold in this video from Topic, featuring news footage from Balloonfest ’86.

While balloons are normally thought of as fun and whimsical, Cleveland was the unfortunate site of a magical experience gone wrong. The sheer quantity of balloons must have been awe-inspiring, and to witness over a million colorful masses creating rainbow clouds over the city was undoubtedly an amazing sight to see. Yet, the chaos and waste that rained upon the city was equally as incredible, and the damages sustained were tragic.

Were you in Cleveland for Balloonfest ’86? Did you watch the event or do you remember the aftermath? Share your stories (and any photos you may have) in the comments.

For another unfortunate local tragedy, check out the 1944 explosion that left Cleveland in a state of ruin.