Hot Air Balloon Race

One of our favorite events of the summer is the Great Plains Hot Air Balloon Race.
This year there were 26 balloons that launched from Kenny Anderson Park.

It’s not a race of speed, but a hare & hound race, meaning that one balloon takes off first and is the hare balloon. The other balloons are called hounds, and they launch after the hare. The hare chooses where to land and lays out a large fabric X, about 50 feet in diameter. The hound balloons attempt to drop their markers as close to the center of the X as possible. The closest marker is the winner.

Mini Balloon on display

 

“Pyro” was the hare this year, just getting ready to lift off

 

“Sunny Side Up” (the same balloon Paul & I rode in a few years ago : )

 

There they go… beautiful!

 

Sanford Children’s balloon

 

“Cool in the Shades”
(the same balloon my sister Anna & Dean got engaged in a few weeks ago! : )

 

Chic-I-Boom (commonly referred to as the Fruit Lady! ; )
I remember this balloon from when I was young… can’t believe she’s still around!
Actually… the original Chic-I-Boom was built in 1982 and retired in 1996.
This is the new Chic-I-Boom. Each of her bananas is 50 feet long!

 

Watching the Fruit Lady get blown up

 

There she goes! : )

 

This year the balloons came back after their flight for the Balloon Glow.
We arrived too late to get many pictures, but it was really neat to see!

Hope to see you at next year’s race!
Mark your calendars for August 14 & 15, 2015 : )