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Balloons don't fly but still light
up the night sky Saturday
[August 25, 2025]
On Saturday, September 23rd, a
hot air balloon launch was supposed to be held, followed by the Glow
at the Open Arms campus. While the temperature was great and the sun
was out, the winds were too strong. The balloons were supposed to
launch at 6:00 p.m., but this unfortunately was not able to occur.
Even though the launch did not
happen, there were still plenty of other activities for people to
participate in, as well as music. There was an inflatable area for
kids to play in. There were inflatable obstacle courses, mazes, axe
throwing, and even a large inflatable tether ball. Hundreds of kids
and parents were in this area, either playing, watching, or waiting
in line.
In the same area, there was a stand
giving away free snow cones. This stand proved to be very popular,
with dozens of people waiting in line for theirs.
There were also several white tents
set up selling food. Some of the foods included hamburgers, hot
dogs, and popcorn, among other items. One stand was selling Indian
street food, which included samosas and chick pea salad.
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Thousands of people showed up, many
of whom set up chairs and blankets to watch the balloons. The grass
was packed with rows of people. These rows went from near the
entrance of the campus on Route 10, all the way down Chapel Road,
and along the back of the field.
When 8:00 p.m. hit, the Glow began.
While it was held, it was not exactly what people expected. Due to
the wind, the balloon teams could not safely inflate their balloons.
The teams instead set their baskets upright and set off their
burners, shooting flames up into the air.
The announcer played fun games, such as asking the balloon teams to
set off their burners to the beat of music. He also played a game
where the teams had to set off their burners if they had at least a
certain number of years experience flying hot air balloons. He
slowly increased the number, eventually leaving one team remaining
with a member that had over fifty years of experience. He did the
same thing with the distance the teams had travelled to be here. The
winner of that game was a team that came all the way from Florida.
As the sun set and it became
darker, the lights from the balloon teams’ burners appeared
brighter. People were allowed into the field to see the teams
baskets up close and talk to the balloon teams. Each time a burner
went off, the heat it gave off could easily be felt from about ten
feet back. Unfortunately, the Glow did eventually have to come to an
end. The teams and the audience began to pack up their belongings
and head home.
[Matt Boutcher] |
