Canowindra's 2022 International Balloon Challenge declared a success

"We sold two-and-a-half thousand tickets basically in the last three or four hours when everyone was just watching the weather hoping it would be alright," Canowindra Balloon Challenge committee president Andrew Pull said.

Crowd numbers, Mr Pull said, were higher than most years, only exceeded in recent years when the region "broke out of COVID lockdown when everyone just came".

"Prior to that 4000 was a good number," he said.

The challenge pilots enjoyed great weather before a front crossed the region forcing the cancellation of flying on Thursday and most of Friday.

"But basically they all had a great time," he added.

Financially Mr Pull said "running a conservative budget" saw the event a financial success.

"We budget on about 3000 (people) coming, to get 6000 we will no doubt be in front but I won't be able to confirm how far for another two weeks.

"But it's been another good successful year."

The Enliven music festival held to open the week-long Challenge, Mr Pull said, should break about even financially with a crowd of around 1200 supporting that event.

"We received a grant to run an event and we ran an event which the performers described as world class," he said.

The committee budgeted for a crowd of 1000 for Enliven.

"We've been encouraged to apply for grants and to keep running," Mr Pull continued.

"The feeling from the officials and the performers was that we ran a world class event. They couldn't believe how much the committee went out of its way to help.

"And getting people like Jon Stevens and Eskimo Jo to Canowindra logistically to perform was a big effort.

"Everything's positive, both events will finish in the black which is a win."