Hot air balloons to fly and glow in Lincoln again

 

[July 03, 2019] 

LINCOLN 

As most all know there was no Lincoln Balloon Festival in 2018, and for all practical purposes there will be no balloon ‘festival’ in 2019. However, there will be a hot air balloon activity in the city of Lincoln this year on August 24th.

The activity will focus on bringing something back to the community that was greatly missed last year, and if some folks come from out of town to be a part, that is just an added bonus.

There has been a small group of folks working to coordinate an activity that will include flights on Saturday and a glow on Saturday night.

Last week at Lincoln City Council’s Committee of the Whole, Mayor Seth Goodman requested that the city permit the use of the 300 block of Eighth Street in Lincoln for a glow activity. He said that the lot was the last possible option for holding a glow in town.

This week at the Monday night voting session, the request, which includes closing of various city streets around the 300 block of Eighth Street, was granted by a 7-0 unanimous vote. Alderwoman Kathy Schmidt was absent.
 

The ‘Balloons over Route 66,’ according to Goodman, will include three launch sites within the city limits on Saturday during the day. Pilots will leave from various sites with the intention that the wind direction will lead at least one group to fly directly over the heart of the city.

On Saturday evening, the Eighth Street property will become the single location for the glow. The property is owned by the city and currently is home only to the ALMH/City of Lincoln Fitness Court. Goodman said that under ideal conditions, 25 balloons will be able to glow on that lot. However, he also noted that there are power lines on one side of the block. If wind conditions are not favorable, there may be a reduction in the number of glowing balloons for safety sake.

Goodman has been working with a small group of volunteers to organize this activity, and is working as a hot air balloonist and a citizen, not as the mayor of Lincoln. The city has not been asked to support the activity financially.

Goodman said when word got out among his fellow pilots that there would be something in Lincoln this year, he was happily overwhelmed with the number of pilots who wanted to come. He said he finally had to shut them off at 25, though more would have come had there been room for them.

He added that there are balloons coming from far reaching areas to both the east and west, and he’s really excited to see how many were interested in reviving something in Lincoln.

On the night of the glow, streets around the vacant green space will be blocked off and spectators may utilize those streets as a viewing point. Visitors to the glow may not infringe on the lawns of the neighboring homes, and there will be restrictions on spectators on the green during the inflation and glow.
 

Goodman said volunteers would be needed to help assure that private property around the block is respected and also there will be opportunities for volunteers to serve as balloon crew members.

‘Balloons over Route 66’ is being dubbed as a community activity because hosting a festival or event puts the city in an entirely different liability situation with insurance that would be much more expensive. The activity is being put on with minimal investment from private sources, so paying ‘festival’ insurance was not an option.

In addition to not requesting financial support from the city, the group has also asked for nothing for promotion from the Logan County Tourism Bureau. However, last week the LCTB Board did approve donating tee-shirts for pilots and the volunteers who will work the perimeter of the glow. Pilots shirts will be green and volunteer shirts will be orange.

Goodman and the aldermen discussed traffic and parking issues. Visitors are encouraged to walk to the glow if possible. Parking will be limited in the immediate area. Jeff Hoinacki noted that people will be parking along the open streets. He suggested that the street department check to make sure there are no parking signs along Elm Street, which is just west of the lot and runs northward. He noted that the street is very narrow and there is no parking at any time along that street, but on that night, people might be tempted to do it anyway.

Tracy Welch also noted that he had contacted some of the residents in the blocks around the lot and all are on board with having the glow in their neighborhood. The only ask was that visitors respect private property.

Enhancing the weekend, Lincoln’s Third Friday Downtown will be moved to the fourth Friday, and held on Friday, August 23rd. So families can make it two low, or no cost, evenings of fun in a row in downtown Lincoln.

Goodman also shared that the Oasis Senior Center will be hosting a pilot meal on Saturday.

The Saturday night Balloons over Route 66 Glow is scheduled to start around 6:30 p.m. and conclude at around 9:30 p.m., weather permitting.

It is expected that there will be additional information given at a future date concerning the lift off locations.

[Nila Smith]