I know midterms are over, and you’re ready to kick back and relax, but I have one more question for you (don’t worry it’s not graded) – what do magician Eric Dobell, the Part-Time Blues Band, and Hot Air Balloons all have in common? That’s right, the Carolina BalloonFest.
This will be my third year at the festival, and I love it. You just bring your lawn chairs (and blankets) and sit back and enjoy the beautiful Carolina autumn weather. The balloons fly on Friday at 4:30, and twice on Saturday & Sunday (8:00 & 4:30). On both Saturday and Sunday mornings, the balloonists launch and compete in various challenges. Every time I see the balloons take off, I have to catch my breath, but my favorite part of the whole weekend is Saturday evening when all the balloons return to the air field, and glow.
Not only can you come and watch the balloons fly, you can enjoy some of the best North Carolina wines at the wine tasting on Saturday. This year, the Carolina BalloonFest will host the Chatham Hill Winery, Daveste’ Vineyards, Southern Charm Winery, Stephens Vineyard & Winery, Weathervane Winery, Woodmill Winery, and The Wine Maestro. Make sure you do your homework and learn the Five S’s to Wine Tasting.
Plus, there are plenty of fun and exciting activities for kids of all ages. The “KIDS FUN ZONE” has a number of free inflatable rides like the Giant Slide, Excalibur Bounce and Crayola Obstacle Course. For older children, there are games of Monster Soccer, Football Toss and Homerun Baseball. All Kids Zone activities are free except the Bungee Trampolino which costs $7. By the way, they let the “big kids” on the Bungee Trampolino, feel free to ask me how I know.
Families can sit back, relax and enjoy great live entertainment, such as Clay Lunsford, The Part-Time Blues Band, The Reach Band, and The Mike Hager Group on the festival’s main stage. Hot air balloons have a long history, especially in Statesville, so come and be part of the experience of the beauty and wonder of 50 magical hot air balloons decorating the sky!
Nuts and Bolts of the BalloonFest: Here are directions, information on scheduling a hot air balloon ride, and the site to pre-order your ticket today. I hope to see you out there!
-Liz McCurry-
