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On the Breeze Blog

It's Time To Go...

6/9/2013

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And it’s ballooning season!  Memorial Weekend started off a flurry of activity for balloonists all over the country, including many of the pilots you will see in October at Carolina BalloonFest.

Many of the top balloonists in the country were at a festival in Simpsonville, SC called Aloft.  A lot of local faces were there, too, including our balloonmeister (and theirs), local pilot Sam Parks.  Sam and his team worked with a local Simpsonville team to make sure that the balloon festival was a success.  And it was….beautiful weather graced the area most of the weekend and there was a lot of good flying and good competition.

Competition? There are balloon competitions? Yes there are, and as we approach BalloonFest we will tell you more about these competitions and let you know the competitors you need to keep an eye on.  Brothers Nick and Chase Donner have been flying our Statesville skies at Carolina BalloonFest for the last few years and you can always expect them to provide a good show.  Nick has been the US National Champion for three of the last four years, but his brother Chase took the title in 2012. Nick was second in the overall competition at Aloft (edged out by former world champion Johnny Petrehn) and first in the BFA Southeast Regional Competition.  Chase was fourth overall and second in the BFA SE Regional. They are off to another good year.  But the season has just begun. Look for some great competition to come at these guys from some of our other Carolina BalloonFest pilots throughout the summer. You never can tell when an upset is on the way! We’ll keep an eye on things and let you know how it goes.  (And heads up….word has it that some pilots may be in the Statesville area July 29-30, practicing for some of the competitions ahead and enjoying some time flying together.  Keep your eyes on the skies and you may get to see a preview of things to come!)

Also spotted at Aloft was the 2013 Chairman of the Board for Carolina BalloonFest, Budd Welch, and interim Executive Director Robb Collier.  They weren’t just balloon gazing…they spent their time scoping out new ideas and interesting  vendors to invite to Statesville to make Carolina BalloonFest an even better event.

While balloon season is just getting started, planning for a successful BalloonFest has been happening for months. We hope hope you will be a part of this event, too...as a sponsor, a spectator or a volunteer.   It’s going to be one exciting balloon season and Carolina BallonFest will be one of the highlights!

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Rain or Shine... Carolina BalloonFest is open October 15-17, 2021!  
Hot Air Balloon Flights are scheduled twice daily; early morning & late afternoon. All ballooning activities including static display, tethered rides and balloon flights are weather-dependent.  The decision to inflate hot air balloons is made just prior to the scheduled ballooning activity.  Please note that due to the popularity of our festival, our admissions booths will close when we reach maximum capacity. This is a decision out of our control and made by local law enforcement.  Tickets are non-refundable. National Balloon Rally Charities donates a portion of our festival proceeds to other local nonprofits and surrounding community agencies. 
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©2020 National Balloon Rally Charities, Inc. is an incorporated 501(c)(3) charitable organization and all contributions are tax deductible. A portion of proceeds raised through Carolina BalloonFest are distributed to local nonprofit organizations. ​PO Box 267 ~ Statesville NC 28687
Festival Location is near Statesville Regional Airport at 260 Hangar Drive, Statesville, NC 28677. ​Parking will be available on site and at park and ride. NO ROADSIDE PARKING - vehicles will be towed where NO PARKING signs are posted. Walk in spectators will not be admitted. Ticket scanning will be in progress.

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