In this episode of the Compendium, we step back into time to revist The Cleveland Balloon Fest of 1986, a high-flying event that hoped to lift a city's spirits but instead spiraled into one of the most infamous blunders of the decade. I tell Adam all the juicy details of this helium-filled fiasco, where ambition met reality with explosive environmental consequences. We'll explore how this well-intentioned charity event turned into a disaster, examining the safety concerns of mass balloon releases and their unintended environmental impacts.

You'll hear how a city’s attempt to set a world record became a case study in event planning disasters. The story highlights significant points in environmental activism history and raises questions about the safety practices surrounding helium balloons, ultimately becoming a controversial chapter in the Guinness World Records.

We give you the Compendium, but if you want more, then check out these great resources:

1. “The Balloon Fest That Went Horribly Wrong” - The Atlantic
2. “Balloonfest 86” - Wikipedia
3. “Understanding the Impact of Balloon Releases” - HRSD
4. “Balloonfest” - Apple tv Documentary by Nathan Truesdell

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Credits:

• Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam Cox
• Intro and Outro Music: Alice in dark Wonderland by Aleksey Chistilin
• All the Latest Things Intro: Clowns by Giulio Fazio