You didn’t miss it! The 2026 Temecula Balloon and Wine Festival didn’t happen! I did some snooping around to find out the reason why. As usual, my curiosity took me in a direction I didn’t expect. The simple answer is the promoter had financial issues. The fun answer is, you’re going to love what I discovered while looking into the festival that wasn't that came from what was.

Who are the honored in the Temecula Valley? Look closer and you’ll see another underlying theme. It’s a theme that belongs not to the attraction but to the attracted. These neighbors, who were attracted to the Temecula Valley, carry the fingerprints of warriors.

It was the winter of 1848 and the entire future of the West hinged on a single message: Gold. The precious metal had been discovered at Sutter's Mill and the race was on to tell the world. This is where Kit Carson, already renowned as an explorer, guide, and courier, entered the story of the original Temecula golden era.