|
 The past weekend’s ‘Balloons over 66’ is surely
being considered by Goodman and his team of helpers as a raging
success. The weather was perfect. Gentle winds on both Friday and
Saturday night, and gorgeous skies accentuated the brilliant colors
of 25 hot air balloons as they drifted along the horizon.
On Friday evening the launches that took place in eight locations
around town concluded with all the balloons landing in the same
general vicinity. To add to the joy of the evening, the gentle
breeze of the higher elevations took the balloons on a course that
led them to the north of the city.
For a time it looked like the balloons were going to go more
westerly and end up somewhere in the area of Hartsburg. However,
where they actually ended up was along the shoulders of Route 66.
How fitting that the event named for the ‘Mother Road” took a path
that led it right over the Mother Road.
For those who decided to join in the thrill of the chase, and there
were many, it was more than fun to see Goodman land his balloon
right at the grassy area of the I-55 on/off ramps, right on the edge
of Route 66. Others chose spots a little further off the road, but
all could be seen by motorists who were traveling the great Route
66.
This was a year when keeping our distance was emphasized by
organizers, and many people adhered to that request nicely. At
launch sites such as the Tanner’s home on Illinois Route 121, cars
lined the highway to watch the inflation and lift off. Folks stayed
in their cars or sat in the back of their trucks. Some brought lawn
chairs and sat just outside their cars, but all kept their distance
from each other and the balloons as requested.
At the Kevin and Peggy Bateman home on Friday evening, it was soon
realized that there was plenty of wide open space for viewers to get
out and group together with the people they came with and still keep
a goodly amount of distance from others.
The chase was borderline intense as so many vehicles left the eight
locations with a desire to follow through to the end and see where
the balloons landed. It was also the best opportunity to see several
balloons at once. With all the balloons asked to be in the air
shortly after 6 p.m., those who beat them out of town were able to
enjoy the sight of several at a time floating gently along the
skyline.
On Saturday morning, a pleasant conversation with pilot Tom Klitz,
who flies Fire and Ice, revealed that from the sky he could see
dozens, if not hundreds of cars and crowds of people all enjoying
the beauty of the balloons.
On Saturday morning, Klitz said there was no official lift off. The
wind speeds at upper levels were too fast, and it was decided that
the group on the whole would stay on the ground. However, when
someone told him that it had been reported that at least a couple of
balloons went up, he said that wouldn’t surprise him. He noted there
are a couple of the pilots who are skilled and confident with higher
speeds and it could be they decided to lift off for a bit anyway.
A great Saturday at the Oasis Senior Center
Just because the pilots didn’t fly on Saturday morning, did not mean
they were left twiddling their thumbs until evening. There were
plenty of other things to do and see in Lincoln.
The morning for them began with a pilot’s breakfast at the Oasis.
Then they were free to explore and do as they wished for the rest of
the day. For Klitz and his wife that meant taking in the Oasis
Vendor Sale.
They were not the only ones. The sale was well populated with
shoppers on Saturday morning. With about 40 vendors selling
everything from jewelry to face masks to tee shirts, home décor,
lawn ornaments and even produce and honey, shoppers were buying; and
were also enjoying the trek around the walking track behind the
Oasis. Vendors were very happy with the turnout and the number of
shoppers who were opening their wallets.
Shoppers were happy also. The vendor market was set up on the inside
of the Oasis walking track. With an eighth-mile of walking space,
shoppers were easily able to keep their distance from others if they
used a little common sense and were patient. The track was clearly
marked asking that everyone walk the same direction around the track
and the majority of the shoppers acknowledged and complied with the
request.
Shoppers came with wallets ready to do some buying, and were
rewarded with happy vendors filling bags with items and offering up
pleasant conversation along the way.
The Oasis also offered a chicken and corn dinner for dine-in or
drive-through.
Out and about in Lincoln
All over town on Saturday there were fun things to do and plenty of
food opportunities starting with breakfast. The Lincoln Masonic
Lodge hosted a drive-through biscuit and gravy breakfast.
Lincolnland Catering had their corndog wagon set up near in the
parking lot of the Big R. Lincolnland, a locally owned business, has
the best corndogs, and those who remembered their popularity last
year at Dock Dogs were anxious to grab a dog or two along with a
cold drink such as a lemon shake-up.
At noon time, the line at the little corndog stand stretched the
length of the east side of the building as customers waited
patiently to get their turn at the window.
[to top of second column] |
_small.jpg)
There were plenty of other food opportunities in Lincoln as well. At
the VFW on Fifth Street, the Marine Corps League was selling their
highly sought after pork chop sandwiches.
Later in the day in time for supper, the Open Arms Christian
Fellowship Church was hosting a Fish Fry, with all the food being
offered free of charge.
Downtown, Jim and Lisa Drew were setting up to sell pizza by the
slice outside Sorrento’s Pizzeria. Later they were joined by the
little yellow camper of Just BEE Açaí that offered up healthy snacks
and beverages. The owner of the business is a friend of the family
from a few miles away. She noted on her social media page that she
was really excited to be a part of the Balloons over 66 Weekend.
The other downtown eateries were also open and on Saturday evening
as well as the night before, there was live outside entertainment at
a couple of the local bars.
Saturday also saw several of the local businesses carrying their
wares out to the sidewalk for the convenience of shoppers. With
sidewalk sales scattered about, shoppers could get a fine example of
all the top notch merchandise offered by our local retailers without
having to go inside. However, once one saw what was outside, several
couldn’t resist the temptation of going on in to shop the entire
store.
The ladies at the Mystic Rose, a relatively new antique store on the
corner of Pulaski and South Kickapoo Streets said they were very
pleased with the amount of foot traffic they had on Saturday.
And while there was no official town wide garage sale event over the
weekend, there were plenty of sales for those who love to look for
treasures.
Saturday evening launch
The Saturday evening launch also went off without a hitch. This time
though the balloons headed out toward the south and appeared to be a
little more spread out than they had been on Friday. Balloons that
launched from Eighth Street appeared to be heading south toward
Lincoln Lakes or the area of Madigan State Park. Balloons that
lifted off from the Mayfair area and the Doolin residence ended up
south west of town in the area of the Lincoln Park District
Recreation Center.
Lots of people were at all the locations and it just felt like
everyone was happy and care-free for perhaps the first time in a
long time.
Saturday night glow
The only drawback of having eight glow locations is that one person
cannot see them all. It becomes a difficult decision, where do we
go, who do we see and who will we miss? But with the choices made,
Karen Hargis of Lincoln Daily News ended up in Mayfair while Nila
Smith went to the Kevin and Peggy Bateman residence.
Hargis noted there was a very large attendance at Mayfair and
everyone was having a great time. She said that for that moment in
time, if felt like our world was completely normal. She noted the
sounds - the laughter, the kids squealing at the sight of the
balloons and folks shouting out greetings to one another. They were
the sounds of summer in Lincoln, the sounds that we hear during the
festivals and the fair, the noise that turns to beautiful music as
we feel the joy of just being alive, and being part of a great
community.
On Saturday night at the launch and the glow, the spacing of two to
three balloons per site once again allowed families to come together
in small clusters while keeping their distance from others. At the
Bateman residence, many folks stayed in their cars or set up chairs
right in front of their cars.
And, everyone respected the request of organizers not to get out and
walk among the balloons. While that is a big part of the event on
normal years, there still had to be some acknowledgement that this
is not a normal year. People respected the request, and were still
able to enjoy the balloons.
So, in the midst of a pandemic, was this year like past years? No,
definitely not, but perhaps in some ways it was better. It was
better because we appreciated it more. Having been hindered by the
coronavirus, our community has lost many of its fun summertime
activities. Because of this, it was like a big bunch of bears coming
out of hibernation, breathing in the fresh air, soaking in the
sunshine, and gasping at the beauty all around them.
So what is left to say? Just two words – thank you.
Thank you to the 25 pilots who blessed us with their presence. Thank
you to the eight property owners who permitted balloons, foot
traffic and numerous vehicles to invade their space. Thank you to
all the businesses and organizations that added to the weekend in
their own unique way. Thank you to the spectators who appeared to
respect and adhere to the rules created for us by coronavirus.
And, most of all, thank you to Seth Goodman and his team of
volunteers who put hours and hours into planning and preparing for
this weekend.
We can only hope that next year it will all be different again. But
even then, will it be better?
[Nila Smith with photos by Smith, Jan Youngquist, and Karen Hargis] |
.jpg)
