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 The
fun will begin on Friday and will continue into Saturday for almost
all activities and on Sunday for a few.
This years event will feature fresh versions of tried
and true activities such as the Up in Smoke BBQ competition which
has been around since before Balloons Over 66, and the annual
Lincoln Public Library Buck a Bag Sale. Returning this year will be
the Dock Dogs competitions on Friday and Saturday. Though newer to
the event than some of the others, this is quickly becoming a much
looked forward to part of the weekend. There will be food trucks
lining the streets in the downtown area, the Lincoln Arts Institute
Art Fair, live music on the main stage, children’s activities in
Latham Park and sidewalk chalk art all around the downtown area.
A renewed event, one that used to be a mainstay but went away during
covid is the kick-off party at the Lincoln Village Skilled Nursing
Facility on North Kickapoo in Lincoln. The event returned to the
program in 2023 and will be back again this year, held on Thursday
evening from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Then, on Sunday, the annual Shady Car Show will take
place at Memorial Park, as it has for the past several years.
And of course, there are going to be hot air balloons!
While all these things are very familiar to those who attend the
event each year, the biggest changes to the weekend will be in the
ballooning portion of the event.
This year, for the first time in several years, all the balloons
will launch and glow in the same location on Saturday night. Open
Arms Church is providing the expansive green space on their campus
for the event, which is sure to be a crowd pleaser with the
potential of 34 balloons glowing at the same time.
The Friday evening balloon event has been completely revamped as has
the Saturday morning event.
On Friday evening, there will be a Hare & Hound race which will
start from the Open Arms green space.
Local balloonist and one of the spearheads of the weekend event,
Seth Goodman explained just what this race is and how it works.
Goodman himself in his City of Lincoln Balloon will be the first
balloon to launch on Friday evening. His goal will be to fly to a
location where he can sit down and keep his balloon inflated.
Goodman will be the Hare. Once he is on the ground, it will be the
job of the other balloonists – the Hounds, to seek him.
A target will be laid out close to Goodman’s balloon, and as the
hounds fly over, the pilots will drop bean bags from the air, with
the hopes of being the one who pitches the bag closest to the center
of the target. Goodman’s long-time friend and fellow balloonist now
retired, Betsy Kleiss will be on the ground “judging” the event, and
noting who comes the closest to the center.
Goodman said this is a “just for fun” event where the winner will
get bragging rights for the weekend. In addition, he said that there
will be some trophies given out courtesy of Kathie Williams at Small
Town Creations in Lincoln.
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Goodman said this is a time-consuming event, so on
Friday night there will be no glo event afterward. He also cautioned
that while many may want to follow the hounds, it might not be
advisable. He said traffic can get very congested and could be
dangerous. And, for those who want to see the balloonists drop their
bean bags, the will have that opportunity on Saturday morning at
Open Arms.
The Saturday morning fly-in will not be a Hare and
Hound race but rather a fly-in with a target. Pilots will leave the
Comfort Inn in Lincoln after their morning pilot meeting, and will
go out into the community to find a lace to inflate their balloons.
Their goal will be to find the right launch site so as to travel
with the wind to Open Arms. There, they will again drop a bean bag
hoping to bullseye the target. Once that is accomplished, the
balloons may or may not set down at Open Arms.
Goodman said that with ample parking space, this will be a much
safer way to watch the balloons fly over and drop their bean bags.
On Saturday evening, the launch and glo event will be about the same
as it always is. The difference will be seeing all the balloons
inflating and launching at approximately the same time, and of
course the magnificence of seeing all of them participate in the glo
at the same time.
Goodman said that Open Arms offers plenty of parking.
He also believes that volunteers will be out ahead of time, helping
to direct visitors. It is Goodman’s understanding that there will be
an entry point, perhaps from Campus View, and an exit point from the
Chapel Drive. Visitors are encouraged to pay attention to signage
and the volunteers who will be directing them. It is also suggested
that guests may want to bring lawn chairs just in case they end up
parking further away from the launch and glow site.
The final ballooning event of the weekend will come on Sunday
morning. The goal is to find a location for lift off that will allow
the wind to carry the balloons over the downtown area. With all good
luck, folks should be able to visit the Logan County Courthouse
Square and see the beautiful balloons floating over the heart of the
city.
Goodman also warned that every portion of the ballooning event will
be dependent on the weather conditions. He said that to assure
safety for everyone, the wind speeds should be no more than 10 mph
and there can not be any precipitation within a 100-mile radius of
the launch site.
The balloon schedule is as follows:
-
6 p.m. – Friday evening Hare & Hound Race
-
6:15 a.m. – Saturday morning fly-in to Open Arms
Church
-
6 p.m. – Saturday evening launch from Open Arms
Church
-
8 p.m. – Saturday evening glow at Open Arms
Church
-
6:15 a.m. – Sunday morning fly over, downtown
Lincoln
Visit the Logan County Tourism Burean website for a
complete schedule of events.
BALLOONS OVER 66 INFO! (destinationlogancountyil.com)
[Nila Smith] |
