Savana Bruscino keeps dry under her newly purchased umbrella Sunday night as rain begins to fall shortly after two balloons inflated and the final launch of the 3-day festival was cancelled at Simard-Payne Memorial Park in Lewiston. During the Lewiston-Auburn Balloon Festival, rain, wind and fog washed out all 6 launches other than two pilots who braved the elements Friday night. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

LEWISTON —Lewiston-Auburn Balloon Festival-goers learned Sunday evening that the last launch of the three-day event would not happen.

Rain was the culprit for grounding the five specialty hot air balloons and a handful more at the Simard-Payne Memorial Park event. Dreary from dawn ’til dusk, low cloud cover and rain grounded the morning balloon launches and a second round of precipitation caused the evening cancellation.

With unusually low turnout Sunday morning, several came out in the evening in hopes of seeing a successful final launch. The Foss family of Minot were hopeful after facing the disappointment of the canceled morning launch, but the family didn’t mind much they missed out a second time.

Kasen Foss, 3, was busy trying to wrestle his sister Kayleigh, 8, to the ground as balloonists and their crews were scrambling to pack up while the rain was still light.

“We were here this morning, went home for a few hours and came back,” said their mother, Kristina Foss.

The kids particularly enjoyed the bounce house and face painting, though they’d “done almost everything,” Kayleigh said.

Kayleigh, left and Kasen Foss react as their mother takes photos of them as balloons begin to deflate Sunday night at Simard-Payne Memorial Park in Lewiston during the final day of the 3-day Lewiston-Auburn Balloon Festival. Rain, wind and fog washed out all 6 launches other than two pilots who braved the elements Friday night. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

“Look at me,” Kayleigh said putting her tiger face painting on full display. “I was (disappointed) a little, but had fun.”

Izzy Chickering and Adilyn Brown, both 5 and of Lewiston, barely noticed the lack of balloons in the air with all the fun and activities going on during the day.

“My favorite part was getting in the big balloon,” said Chickering, who played with Brown and Brown’s brother Oliver, 3, in a small hot-air balloon which was inflated via fan.

“And mine was the face painting,” Adilyn said.

Spyderpig pilot Patrick Sullivan said Saturday evening that even if the weather doesn’t seem so bad on the surface, there are dangers to balloon crews, passengers and onlookers when even slight weather rolls in. He said he’s been in a few hairy situations himself, but a few come to mind in which he wasn’t involved.

“(Balloons) were dragging trucks and people across the field,” Sullivan said. “It’s not safe.”

Launches since Friday have been scrubbed for a variety of weather-related reasons, including heavy fog, strong winds, low cloud cover and rain.

While crews inflated the balloons for show Friday and two balloons left the ground Saturday evening, none fully inflated Sunday morning or evening due to the weather.

National Weather Service meteorologist Stephen Baron said Sunday morning that the evening would bring 40% chance of showers with calm winds around 5 miles per hour. But even the slightest amount of rain means no liftoff Re/Max balloon pilot Bruce Byberg said earlier in the day.

Hot-air balloon pilot and owner of  “The Cake,” Keith Sproul, said not being able to raise the 70-foot birthday-cake balloon on the last chance for liftoff was disappointing, but he and his crew were able to put a small balloon in the air while it was tethered to vehicles. He said he and his crew had a great three days in Lewiston.

“The people here are super friendly,” Sproul said. “It’s a really nice place and we had a great time.”

Julia Gagnon and her fiance Nate Haven perform Sunday afternoon on the main stage during the Lewiston-Auburn Balloon Festival at Simard-Payne Memorial Park in Lewiston. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

Lewiston Director of Marketing & Communications Angelynne Amores said city officials and event organizers were bummed that the main attraction didn’t get weather to cooperate, but everyone was happy the events, artists and vendors drew large crowds during the day.

“The balloons are always at the top of the list, but … our goal this year was to make sure we had a robust line of events,” Amores said. “I mean, Julia Gagnon was so good, and Motor Booty? That was a trip.  We had all the artists from the Maine Micro Artisans and medieval tent activities and Family Fun Day and so much more.”

Festival organizer Mel Hamlyn said Saturday that anyone who paid for balloon ride tickets would be refunded.