Let’s Go To The Mall!

LET’S GO TO THE MALL!

 

GIANT, 75-FOOT-TALL HOT AIR BALLOON WELCOMES

BRIDGEWATER COMMONS SHOPPERS

 

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Bridgewater Commons, which offers unique shopping, dining and entertainment experiences, is inviting shoppers to experience the magic of ballooning with a walk-through event on Saturday, July 18 from 4:00-6:00 p.m. to celebrate the upcoming Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning.

 

Mall attendees will be able to explore the inside of one of the retired balloons from the Festival, learn how hot air balloons work, and enter to win tickets to the Festival, which will be held July 24-25-26, 2009 at Solberg Airport in nearby Readington, NJ.

 

“We are always looking to introduce the Festival to different members of the community and what better place to reach New Jersey residents than this premier shopping mall on a Saturday,” said Festival Executive Producer Howard Freeman.

 

“We are very excited to host this fun family event, and also to be a sponsor of the highly-anticipated Festival itself,” said Amy Harris, Marketing Manager for Bridgewater Commons. “While visiting the center, we hope shoppers will stop in and check out the new retail and dining we have to offer them as well.”

 

This walk-through event will take place in the parking lot outside mall entrance near Lord & Taylor. A giant, 75-foot-tall hot air balloon will be inflated with cold air, laid on its side and securely staked to the ground, allowing shoppers to explore a balloon from up close and even from the inside. Festival staff will also be on hand to provide additional information about this year’s event.

 

In the event of inclement weather, this event will take place inside the shopping center and will feature a presentation on hot air ballooning and the Festival.

 

The 27th annual Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning in Association with PNC Bank is the largest summertime hot air balloon and music festival in North America and the premier family entertainment event in the Northeast, attracting upwards of 150,000-175,000 people and worldwide media coverage.

 

The three day festival offers morning-through-night entertainment including a fireworks extravaganza, a nighttime hot air balloon glow where balloons are lit up like lanterns, live concerts from 5-time Grammy Award winner Michael McDonald, Beach Boys founder Al Jardine’s Endless Summer Band, Kool & The Gang, Disney teen sensation Meaghan Martin and the newest boy band, One Call; the world famous Flying Wallendas death defying hire wire act; interactive exhibits and amusement rides; and five scheduled mass ascensions with up to 125 balloons taking the skies over the scenic Hunterdon County countryside.

 

Bridgewater Commons features Bloomingdale’s, Lord & Taylor, Macy’s and more than 170 stores including Pottery Barn, Apple Store, Michael Kors, BCBGMAXAZRIA, J. Crew, Brighton Collectibles, Vera Bradley, Forever 21, Guess, Brookstone, Puma, Hanna Andersson, Sephora, Lucky Brand Jeans, Zara, Bare Escentuals, Coach and many more outstanding retailers.

 

The center also has a new food court and offers shoppers the opportunity to stroll through The Village at Bridgewater Commons, a lushly landscaped venue home to many retailers new to the market. Anchored by Maggiano’s Little Italy Restaurant and Crate & Barrel, The Village features Banana Republic, Brooks Brothers, White House Black Market, Coldwater Creek, Origins, Ann Taylor Loft, Johnston & Murphy, SGH, and bluemercury.

 

Bridgewater Commons is owned and managed by General Growth Properties, Inc. The Company currently has ownership interest in, or management responsibility for, over 200 regional shopping malls in 44 states, as well as ownership in master planned community developments and commercial office buildings. The Company’s portfolio totals approximately 200 million square feet of retail space and includes over 24,000 retail stores nationwide. GGP’s common stock is trading in the pink sheets under the symbol GGWPQ. For more information, visit www.ggp.com.