Lakeshore Balloon Glow 2026

The Lakeshore Balloon Glow is more than an event, it's a community tradition where families can come together and create lasting memories, without the barrier of an admission fee.

But keeping it that way takes all of us. Behind the scenes, more than 100 volunteers and the generous support of local sponsors willing to invest to make this event possible each year.

If you love the Balloon Glow, we invite you to be part of what keeps it glowing! See the event details below.

Title Sponsor:

Water Ski Show Sponsors:

Fireworks Sponsor:

Children's Area Sponsors:

Entertainment Sponsor:

Trolley Sponsors:

Manitowoc Public Utilities

Nicolet National Bank

Van Horn Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Manitowoc

Beer Area Sponsor:

SB Law

Map Sponsors:

Alliance Laundry Systems

Manitowoc Public Utilities

Nicolet National Bank

Friday, August 14 | 5-9 PM

Downtown Manitowoc

FREE - NO Admission Fee!

Family Friendly Event!

Schedule of Events:

5:30 PM Water Ski Show in Manitowoc River, presented by Webfooters

6:30 PM Children's Magic Show, presented by Mischief & Magic

7:30 PM Balloons Begin to Inflate/Glow

8:30 PM Fireworks Show over the Manitowoc River/Harbor

All Children's Area activities are FREE.
Includes: Magic Show, Face Painting, STEM activities, bounce houses and more!

20 Food Trucks/Vendors to choose from.

Beverages available to purchase.

Seating/viewing on both north and south sides of river.

Offsite parking and trolley service available.
Parking at: Manitowoc Lincoln High School, Roncalli High School & Faith Church.

Sponsorship Opportunities OPEN

Fireworks Sponsor | $2,000

1 PENDING Sponsorship available at this level.

Your logo will appear on all event promotional materials, as a top level sponsor.
Your logo will be displayed on exclusive riverfront signage at the event.
You will be thanked for your kind generosity by the DJ at the event.
Company name will appear on the back of the volunteer t-shirts.
Social Media mentions.
You will have the ability to display a large company banner at the event.
Opportunity to be featured in a 1-minute video shared on Facebook.

Food Truck Row Sponsor | $2,000

2 Sponsorships available at this level.

Your logo will appear on all event promotional materials, as a top level sponsor.
Your logo will be displayed on exclusive signage along the row of Food Trucks at the event.
You will be thanked for your kind generosity by the DJ at the event.
Company name will appear on the back of the volunteer t-shirts.
Social Media mentions.
You will have the ability to display a large company banner at the event.
Opportunity to be featured in a 1-minute video shared on Facebook.

Children's Area | $1,000

3 Sponsorships remaining at this level.

You will have an opportunity to have a 10x10 tent/display area in the Children’s Area to hand out promotional materials to the children.
You will be thanked for your kind generosity by the DJ at the event.
Company logo will appear on all event promotional materials.
Social Media mentions.
You will have the opportunity to display a company banner at the event.

Entertainment | $750

1 PENDING Sponsorship remaining at this level.

You will have the opportunity to address the crowd at the event.
You will be thanked for your kind generosity by the DJ at the event.
Company logo will appear on all event promotional materials.
Social Media mentions.
You will have the opportunity to display a company banner at the event.

Map | $500

1 Sponsorship remaining at this level.

Company logo on printed and digital maps of the event grounds.
You will be thanked for your kind generosity by the DJ at the event.
Company name will appear on all event promotional materials.
Social Media mentions.
You will have the opportunity to display a company banner at the event

Trolley | $500

1 Sponsorship remaining at this level.

Your logo will be displayed on the event trolleys.
You will be thanked for your kind generosity by the DJ at the event.
Company name will appear on all event promotional materials.
Social Media mentions.
You will have the opportunity to display a company banner at the event.

Beer Area | $500

3 Sponsorships remaining at this level.

Your logo will be displayed on the beverage pricing sheets at the beer areas.
You will be thanked for your kind generosity by the DJ at the event.
Company name will appear on all event promotional materials.
Social Media mentions.
You will have the opportunity to display a company banner at the event.

If your business is interested in supporting this community event, please contact Chamber Executive Director, Abbey Quistorf at abbey@chambermanitowoccounty.org, or reply to this email. All sponsorships are first-come, first-served and 2025 sponsors have a right of first refusal.

Volunteer Opportunities

It takes about 100 volunteers to help make Lakeshore Balloon Glow a success! Please consider sharing your time and talents. All volunteers will receive a free, DRY-FIT, Lakeshore Balloon Glow T-Shirt!

Volunteer Opportunities:

Setup (2:00-5:00pm): Help get grounds set-up for event.

Bartender/Servers (5:00-7:00pm & 7:00-9:00pm): Help serve beer/beverages.

Bar Runners (5:00-7:00pm & 7:00-9:00pm): Help get product for servers to complete orders.

Bar Fillers (5:00-7:00pm & 7:00-9:00pm): Fill coolers with product from beer trailers. (Will require jumping in and out of trailer.)

Balloon Handlers (6:30-8:30pm): Help tether balloons down during glow.

Glow Attendant/Security (6:30-8:30pm): Walk around during the Glow to keep an eye on crowd and help where needed.

ID Checker/Wristband Station (4:30-6:30pm & 6:30-8:30pm): Check IDs using scanners, put on wristbands.

Clean Up/Tear Down (5:30-7:30 & 7:30-9:30pm): Help clean-up the grounds during and after the event.

Volunteer Today!