Under the Enterprising Regions Program, the group has received $20,000 to promote this year’s Canowindra Challenge and the 17th National Balloon Championships, to be held in April. Canowindra Challenge organiser Jan Kerr said the funding was very significant for the group who have only been established since July.

“We were invited by I&I to apply and we are absolutely thrilled to pull off such a big one,” she said of the funding.

“It blew us away that they have shown faith in us to get us started.” Mrs Kerr said the department can obviously see the potential of the festival to boost the economy of Canowindra and the region.

“Canowindra has been renowned as somewhere to fly balloons so it will be good to have (balloons) back here again,” she said.

The first Canowindra Challenge was hosted by Mrs Kerr and her husband Graham last year as a private venture to test the waters for a more community-focused festival. Mrs Kerr said the positive reaction from the community and the 17 pilots involved lead to the formation of a local committee to continue the event.

The committee is working with local charities and schools to ensure that all food stalls are hosted by local community groups so they are able to benefit from the influx of visitors.

“I think I&I can see that our region has suffered from drought so to put something on so visual will draw the crowds and help businesses,” she said.

Mrs Kerr said this year’s event will be bigger than last year with 30 pilots registered so far.

“It’s the first time Canowindra has had the championships since 1988,” she said.

The top three places in the Australian Championships will qualify for the World Championships in 2012. In conjunction with the Championships the Challenge committee is also coordinating the Canowindra Cup on the first Saturday and second Sunday of the festival where balloonists compete for the perpetual trophy.