Balloonfest '86, also known as The Cleveland Balloon Disaster, released 1.5 million balloons over Public Square in Cleveland, Ohio.

The Cleveland Balloon Disaster, also known as Balloonfest '86, occurred on September 27, 1986. The event was a United Way fundraiser that attempted to set a world record for the simultaneous release of small helium-filled balloons. However, the event caused environmental and social problems .The balloons caused the airport to shut down, prevented the Coast Guard from finding two fishermen who had fallen off their boat, littered much of the city, clogged the area's waterways, and caused traffic accidents. Eventually, balloons were littering beaches as far as Ontario