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Conditions prevented the race from starting during Thursday morning's kickoff event on June 3, however, the crowd got to see the hot air balloons on display and chat with pilots. (Photo/Wayne Hardy)
The 48th annual Helen to the Atlantic Balloon Race and Festival has arrived, scheduled for June 3-5.
“We’re just really excited to be able to put on a beautiful show for people,” said event organizer Catherine Cleiman. “The event is so much weather dependent, we always just have to keep our fingers crossed that even on a beautiful sunny day, it can be bad for ballooning.”
There will be some changes to the event this year, Cleiman said. She said they are asking patrons to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines as they feel best suits their personal safety needs and the needs of those around them. There also will be no tethered balloons rides this year.
Another change this year is paid parking on the launch field, on the property across from Cool River Tubing and Riverside Park on Edelweiss Strasse, Cleiman said. The paid parking will be a charity fundraiser, she said. Because of heavy traffic, locals are requested to carpool to the event.
Pilots will inflate balloons between 6:30 a.m. to 7 a.m., and 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. each day for an hour or so, weather permitting.
“If weather conditions are not great to be able to take off and fly down the valley, then if possible, the balloons will do a static display so folks can still see the balloons,” Cleiman said.
Conditions prevented the race from starting during Thursday morning's kickoff event, however, the crowd got to see the hot air balloons on display and chat with pilots.
For ongoing update more information, visit the event website at helenballoon.com and its Facebook page.