Freedom Festival takes to the skies with Balloon Fest – Daily Herald – Daily Herald

As Fridays first light spilled into Utah Valley from behind the peaks of the Wasatch Mountains, hot air balloons rose into the skies above Provo.

As the balloons ascended, they tested the skies for the Freedom Festivals Balloon Fest. The Balloon Fest will take place Saturday, Monday and Tuesday from 6 to 8 a.m. at Bulldog Field, which is located at 1100 N. Freedom Blvd. in Provo. The event attracts balloonists from throughout the western United States and beyond, and Fridays preliminary rides brought out 11 different hot air balloons.

For the Balloon Fests three days, that number is expected rise to about 25.

Visitors will be able to watch as the balloons inflate and drift through Provos skies. Hot air balloons typically fly about 5 to 10 miles in a radius from their takeoff point, but balloonists may keep closer to Bulldog Field to allow visitors to get a better view.

The Balloon Fest annually attracts about 25,000 visitors to Provo and provides fun for the whole family. Though, for balloonists, flying hot air balloons is also a family affair.

When you start seeing balloonists, youll see families, said Keith Evans, pilot of Smileys Dream, a hot air balloon.

Evans and his family had their first experience with Balloon Fest 21 years ago through an eagerness to lend a hand. We were on the field to spectate, and they said they needed crew, said Evans.

Hot air balloons require much more than just a pilot to fly it takes a crew. The crew aids in helping unpack, inflate, land, deflate, pack away and guide hot air balloons through the air from the ground. Where hot air balloons land can be a bit up in the air, so the crews continually keep contact with the pilots and follow the balloons to wherever they might land.

Evans and his family acted as crew members for 18 years, and began flying a balloon of their own in the festival three years ago. He explained that the Balloon Fest is a wonderful way to interact with the family of ballooning.

Go here to see the original:

Freedom Festival takes to the skies with Balloon Fest - Daily Herald - Daily Herald