Former Cathedral City hot air balloon festival operator agrees to stop using city’s trademarks and logos
Jesus Reyes
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ) – Fantasy Balloon Flights, the former operator of the Cathedral City International Hot Air Balloon Festival, has “disavowed the future use” of the city’s balloon festival name following a trademark lawsuit.
The lawsuit centered on Fantasy Balloon Flights’ continued use of the “Cathedral City International Hot Air Balloon Festival” name to advertise a competing event after their contract expired in 2024 and after losing a competitive bidding process in 2025, according to the city.
The city filed a federal lawsuit in June.
Last week, the U.S. District Court determined that Cathedral City’s requested preliminary injunction was not necessary as Fantasy Balloon Flights and its owners completely stopped their unauthorized use of Cathedral City’s trademarks and logos.
The Court cautioned that any resumption of the Defendants’ unauthorized use of the City’s balloon festival name, logos, and trademarks would support a renewed motion for injunctive relief.
Faced with the City’s legal action, Fantasy Balloon Flights completely ceased these practices. The Court accepted Fantasy Balloon Flights’ binding commitments, finding sufficient assurance that the trademark violations will not recur.
The Court maintained jurisdiction over the matter, stating that “should circumstances change—such that Defendants continue to advertise a competing event using Plaintiff’s alleged mark” the City may immediately return to court for relief.
“Our legal action achieved exactly what we intended—stopping the trademark misuse that was creating confusion for residents, sponsors, and potential visitors,” said Ryan Hunt, Communications & Events Manager. “The federal court confirmed that Fantasy Balloon Flights has completely abandoned these deceptive practices and made binding promises to never resume them.”
Additionally, Fantasy Balloon Flights, through their attorney, confirmed in court that they have not accepted any pilot registrations nor collected deposits from balloon pilots or operators seeking to participate in the Cathedral City International Hot Air Balloon Festival scheduled for November 21–23, 2025.
The city said the admission directly addresses the City’s contention that Fantasy Balloon Flights had falsely advertised such registrations on its websites and social media platforms earlier this spring, misleading potential participants into believing it was acting on the City’s behalf.
The Court ordered both parties into mandatory settlement discussions before Magistrate Judge David T. Bristow, with completion required no later than October 31, 2025.
For more information about the official Cathedral City International Hot Air Balloon Festival, visit www.cchotairballoonfest.com or follow @cchotairballoonfest on social media.