| Hot air balloon festivals are held
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| | is held during August in Bristol, United
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| annually throughout the year, and give a
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| | Kingdom. Teams from all over the UK and
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| chance for balloonists to participate in
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| | other parts of the world bring their hot
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| balloon races and display their balloons
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| | air balloons to the site and participate
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| during evening balloon glows, and for the
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| | in mass ascents where as many as 100
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| public to participate in the spectacle of
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| | balloons may launch at a time.
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| many balloons gathered in one spot and to
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| | The event is one of the largest in Europe
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| learn about the sport.
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| | and it is common to have crowds of over
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| The Albuquerque International Balloon
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| | 100,000 on each of the four days of the
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| Fiesta is a yearly gathering of hot air
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| | festival. It takes place in a large
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| balloon enthusiasts from around the
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| | country estate Ashton Court. Balloon
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| world, occurring in Albuquerque, New
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| | launches are attempted twice a day, at
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| Mexico, USA, during the first two weeks
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| | 6am and 6pm, subject to weather
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| of October. The event, the largest of its
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| | conditions.
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| kind in the world, lasts ten days and
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| | One popular attraction is the night glow,
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| includes a fleet of nearly 750 hot air
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| | when balloons are inflated and glow to
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| balloons with pilots from throughout the
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| | music after dark. Another attraction is
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| United States and the world.
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| | the large number of special shaped
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| Each and every year, dozens of colorful
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| | balloons which take off in addition to
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| balloons take to the skies of Decatur,
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| | the regular ones.
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| Alabama's Point Mallard Park, for the
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| | In 2003 the weight of crowds returning
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| Alabama Jubilee Hot-Air Balloon Classic
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| | from the Balloon Fiesta and Ashton Court
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| over the Memorial Day holiday weekend
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| | festival put such great strain on the
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| (May 28-29).
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| | Clifton Suspension Bridge that it was
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| Public admission is free of charge.
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| | decided to close the bridge to all
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| The Great Pershing Balloon Derby is a hot
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| | traffic, including pedestrians, during
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| air balloon festival named in honor of
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| | these events from 2004 onwards.
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| General John J. Pershing and held every
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| | Plano Balloon Festival is held each
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| year since 1977 over the Labor Day
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| | September in the City of Plano, Texas.
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| weekend near Brookfield, Missouri.
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| | The 27th Annual ViewPoint Bank Plano
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| The balloon derby is held in conjunciton
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| | Balloon Festival was held September 22 -
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| with many other festivities in nearby
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| | 24, 2006 at Oak Point Park. Subsequent
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| Brookfield including beauty contests,
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| | Plano Balloon Festivals are scheduled for
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| concerts, parades, and a fly-in at the
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| | September 21 - 23, 2007 and September 19
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| local airport.
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| | - 21, 2008.
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| The derby itself is held at the Myron
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| | Possible events include balloon launch;
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| Peacher Memorial Launch Site, an open
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| | various shows ranging from children's
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| field on State Road FF about two miles
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| | science exhibits to dancers; and live
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| north of U.S. Highway 36 between
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| | bands. A paraglider group may descend to
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| Brookfield and Laclede, Missouri.
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| | the balloon launch field. After dusk,
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| Launches are generally at dusk and dawn
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| | several balloon pilots assemble with
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| on Saturday and Sunday and at dawn on
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| | their equipment on the balloon launch
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| Monday (Labor Day). A night glow is
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| | field and conduct synchronized firings of
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| usually held at sunset on Sunday evening.
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| | their balloon's burners, an event known
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| Great Texas Balloon Race is held each
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| | as a balloon glow. Weather may alter the
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| July near the City of Longview, Texas. It
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| | performance of events, either by
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| is billed as "The longest running hot-air
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| | preventing or delaying a particular
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| balloon event in Texas."
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| | performance, or by eliminating some
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| Various events are held at the Great
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| | element of the performance. For example,
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| Texas Balloon Race over several days.
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| | the balloon glow can be performed without
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| These events include competitions,
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| | the usual hot air envelope over the
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| including a key grab and a balloon race.
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| | gondola. The day's events may end with a
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| The key grab consists of a prize attached
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| | fireworks display.
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| to the top of a 20-foot (7-meter) pole,
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| | The venue of the Plano Balloon Festival
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| which balloon pilots attempt to grab from
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| | precludes events common at other balloon
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| the pole as they pilot their balloons.
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| | festivals, such as the key grab or bag
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| The race consists of pilots using
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| | drop. Such competitions require large,
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| shifting wind directions at various
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| | open spaces for the balloons to maneuver.
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| altitudes to steer towards a destination,
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| | The City of Plano is located within the
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| where they attempt to drop a bag as close
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| | Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, which is
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| as possible to a target.
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| | densely populated.
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| The Bristol International Balloon Fiesta
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