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Oh how they glow
Published Friday, October 19, 2007
NATCHEZ — With necks craned toward the evening sky, tourists and locals alike stood side by side in awe of an array of shapes, sizes and colors for Friday’s balloon glow.
The balloon glow is, more than anything, an opportunity for well-grounded people — those without hot-air balloon access — to get up close and personal with the pilots and their crews.
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And the well-grounded people love it.
Ryan Raaum and his wife Karen Baab drove 10 hours from Gainesville, Fla., just to see the balloon races.
Raaum said he did not know what to expect at the balloon races but looked pleasantly surprised.
“It’s impressive,” he said.
As crew members went about their assigned tasks spectators looked on with a certain happiness that only comes from watching others do manual labor.
Pilot Dan Martindale has participated in the balloon race for 15 years.
“This is my least favorite thing to do,” he said.
Martindale said the glow is torture for ballooners because no one gets to actually take off.
But fortunately, not everyone shared Martindale’s perspective.
Crewmember Mary Gideon said the balloon glow is an excellent opportunity for everyone to take part in the race.
“It’s good for the families and it’s good for the economy,” Gideon said.
And from the looks of Friday’s crowd the balloons will be good for the local economy.
Folsom resident Terri Conary said the closest hotel she could find for the event was in Brookhaven.
Even though Conary said she probably waited too long to book a hotel, she didn’t seem to care.
“This is awesome. To stand by these balloons is great, this is what makes it real,” she said.
The balloon glow offered some very unique perspectives to crowds of novices.
The heat from the huge propane burners can be felt from several feet away. And spectators got an up-close view of how big the balloons actually are. Gideon’s balloon, Sky Eyes, encompasses 69,000 cubic feet.
And though facts and figures about hot-air balloons are appealing to some, others simply don’t care about that kind of stuff.
Five-year-old Eboni Trevillion just likes to look at the balloons.
“I like it when they glow up,” she shouted.
Comments
Posted by destiny (anonymous) on October 20, 2007 at 11:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
For the first time I was not there, but my mind could picture them. Memories are good for ol' folks to have. Enjoy the gleam in the eyes of the youngsters when they tell me about it. Just talked to my son who is gof-fer at the grounds and he said it was a good turnout. He volunteers mostly for the band's backup work. See I raised my kids right. Instilled in them the importance of volunteering. I guess that's what upset me so much at Julie's column. (Yeah, just had to go there. Verbal wounds heal much slower than others.HAHA)
Posted by CitizenSane (anonymous) on October 21, 2007 at 11:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I was there for the first time. It was beautiful.
Without the volunteers and the moral support of the entire Natchez-Vidalia community, the Balloon Fest could not succeed.
I am grateful for everyone's contributions to this great event, financial or otherwise!
Posted by darylwalker (anonymous) on October 21, 2007 at 2:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I have to say I’m very disappointed in the way the balloon glow was handled this year. I remember the past years where the balloons were lined up along the bluff and riverwalk were just anyone could come and view the balloons without having to give up that hard earned dollar. This year there were no balloons along the riverwalk, and the only ones on the bluff were hidden behind Rosalie where you had to PAY to get in. My view was one of people becoming money hungry and trying to figure out every way the can to take people’s money from them. Even the parking situation was sad. People that owned parking lots downtown were standing guard in their parking lots and CHARGING people up to $10.00 just to park their car in a parking lot that is free any other time of the year. I wound up spending $100.00 just to let my 2-year-old daughter enjoy the sights of the balloons. I was only lucky that this pay period allowed me a little extra cash. Many people in Natchez just don’t have that kind of money to spend on things like this. The balloon race is a great thing for Natchez, but I fear its becoming more geared towards the “high society” of Natchez instead of the community as a whole.
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