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Balloons are back in Baton Rouge
Monday May 28th 2007
(BATON ROUGE) May 15 — Giant hot-air balloons will fill the summer skies over Louisiana’s capital city for three days, Aug. 10-12.
Some 30 pilots from 15 states will scramble to become the best hot-air balloon pilot in the Southeastern U.S. Regional Hot Air Balloon Championship©.
In addition, 30 more pilots will compete simultaneously in the 2007 Louisiana State Hot Air Balloon Championship.
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED® in 2005 called the completely free event one of “America’s Top 25 Summer Essentials.” In past years, more than 100,000 spectators from around the world attended the event.
“We started hosting the U.S. National Hot Air Balloon Championships in the late 1980s,” said George Richard, executive director of the Louisiana Ballooning Foundation. “So many people showed up that now we make it a point to host some kind of balloon event every year. It’s a big show, and even though the crowds are large, everyone has the best seat in the house.”
The show includes the 60 balloons, skydivers, fireworks, bands and Louisiana cuisine. Everything is free except for food.
Early birds who wish to arrive at dawn can watch pilots race into the sunrise for a daily competition. Literally at the mercy of the winds, these pilots guide their 70,000-cubic-foot balloons using only heat from burners.
Friday and Saturday, beginning at 6 p.m., skydivers will twirl down from the sky, and pilots will immediately take off in a mass ascension. At 8 p.m., they’ll be back for a spectacular “balloon glow,” firing off burners to make a kaleidoscope of seven-story light bulbs. Fireworks will cap off the two nights.
The event is free and open to the public with food and gift booths on site, including a BREC-sponsored children’s playground, which is also free. Parking is free but limited. Visitors are encouraged not only to carpool, but also to bring a blanket and a camera.
If you need more information about the Pennington Balloon Championships, please contact George Richard at george@laballooning.com or call (225) 933-2027 or click here to fill out our contact form.
