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Article #4: Hot air baloons main events

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






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