It's Almost That Time!

We're excitedly putting together the final plans for Carolina BalloonFest and can't wait for the show to begin. As you get ready, a few things that may help you in your experience.

You can find the schedule for the event at our website carolinaballoonfest.com. There is a lot of other information there that can also help you in your planning. Balloon festivals are a bit trickier than many others that you attend. Hot air balloons only fly early mornings and early evenings. They also don't always go up like clockwork. Times are given on the schedule, but these are "launch windows"....they are the target times when we expect them to be able to hit the skies.

The Balloonmeister and his staff will consider a lot of factors before they tell the pilots that it is OK to launch. Believe me, no one will want balloons up in the air more than these folks. It's the biggest joy of what they do. You'll catch huge smiles on their faces after a successful launch. But nothing will ever come before safety.....safety for the pilots and their balloons, their passsengers, and the crowd.

Ballooning is weather dependent. Our enemy is not just rain or things that may be visible to the human eye, but wind and stability at all levels of the atmosphere in which these balloons will be flying. Our pilots love to fly, and we balloonatics love to see them in flight, so know flights will take off if it is possible. Because weather conditions change quickly, they are watched up until the last possible moment. If things are on hold, be patient with them and try to explain to others why it is not an easy decision. You can watch the flag on the field as the pilots do. Yellow means wait, green means go, and red means no flying is allowed at that time.

If you are bringing children, keep them close to you during the event....especially when balloons are being inflated. Often people get mesmerized by the inflations and their kids are excitedly running around unnoticed. Balloons are huge when compared to a child and can inflate quickly. There are also ropes they can trip on and so many hazards that they can unknowingly walk into. Respect the balloons....and protect your children.

Meet our pilots and their crews! They'll be doing afternoon sessions where you can come up and look at their baskets and they will attempt to answer all of your questions. Take advantage of this time. Most will pose with you for a picture or allow you to take one with their basket. They are enthusiastic about this sport and like to tell people about it. (And speaking of pilots, if you plan to take a ride don't let their baskets get full without you. See the "Book A Rude" tab on our website.)

Thank our volunteers. This is almost completely a volunteer-run event. People forget that sometimes and speak to them harshly. Most are there because they either love this festival and our community, or are trying to raise money for our local charities. Give them smiles and help make their day. We can't do this without hundreds of volunteers so they are VIPs as far as we are concerned.

Aporeciate our sponsors. These folks support our mission and give so much to our festival. Take a look at the list of sponsors on our website and let them know that their commitment did not go unnoticed.

Local folks, if you have a good place for a balloon to land, put out that white sheet. We call those welcome mats!

Most of all, enjoy the event and spread your enthusiasm. Smiling faces are the real fuel of the festival. We are fortunate that most who come are determined to have a good time...so do. Listen to the music of the fabulous bands. Sing along. Dance. Visit with friends. Make new ones. Spend quality time with your family. Bring chairs or a blanket and make yourself comfortable. We think Carolina BalloonFest is a great place to celebrate life. Do it well.

Most of your questions should be answered at Carolina BalloonFest.com. Make sure you review this site before you come so you understand things like how our ticketing and parking is going to work. There are limited roads around the airport, so each year we try to make entry and exit into the venue a little better. We're fortunate that our festival sells out most years....so show up early and plan to stay a while! We look forward to having you there.