More than 70 balloons lit up the Miss-Lou Friday night as part of the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race’s annual balloon-glow.

&uot;It was a beautiful night – perfect conditions for a glow,&uot; said Sally Durkin, crew coordinator.

This is an improvement from last year, when the wind made it difficult to keep the balloons and baskets steady on the ground.

This year, there were no problems.

&uot;It went beautifully,&uot; Durkin said. &uot;It was really beautiful being on the Natchez side and looking at the Vidalia side.&uot;

Rachel Crocker, a crew member for pilot Mark Bowie’s balloon team agreed this year’s glow was easier on the crews.

&uot;(It’s) not a problem at all,&uot; she said of this year’s glow. &uot;We’re just standing around. Hopefully there is not going to be too much wind this weekend.&uot;

Crocker and her father, John Crocker, have been crewing for several years.

Each balloon has a crew to help load and unload the balloon.

Many of the crew members and pilots form close bonds and stick together through years of ballooning, Crocker said.

&uot;You build that friendship between the pilot and crew,&uot; Crocker said. &uot;You always seem to go back to the (same) pilot.&uot;

The balloon race began Friday morning with a media/sponsor balloon flight and ended with the glow, a fireworks show and music by the band These Days with Jewel Bass.

Events continue Saturday with balloon flights at 7 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., and with more music and festival activities.

From 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday there will be street dance with music by the Krackerjacks.

As an added attraction this year is a carnival set up by Phoenix Carousel Company of Tallahassee, Fla.

Natchez Hungerford, director of the Natchez Children’s Home, helped coordinate the carnival.

&uot;Everything that is raised here – the children’s home gets a percentage,&uot; she said.

With the support of race officials, the children’s home has been trying to include more children’s activities into the festival, Hungerford said.

The carousel company specializes in small-sized festivals and this is the company’s first visit to Mississippi.

&uot;The neat thing about this is that’s it fun even for the adults,&uot; Hungerford said.

The festival continues today and Sunday.

Tickets can be purchased at the gate.