Looking to squeeze in some last minute summer fun with the family before school starts Here’s a great way to do that and it
won’t break the pocket book either. The 2009 U.S. National Hot Air Balloon Championship is being held Aug. 26 through 30 in Battle Creek. Family events will take place on the grounds of Kellogg Community College (KCC) at 450 North Ave., from 4 to 9 p.m. on Friday Aug. 28 and Saturday Aug. 29. Event parking will be in the main KCC lot, with overflow parking in the Lane Thomas and Miller College lots on the south side of the campus. There will be demonstrations by the Area Law Enforcement Underwater Recovery Team (Calhoun County Sheriff dive team) and the Battle Creek Fire Department’s Smokehouse as well as displays by the Kingman Museum, the Substance Abuse Council and Battle Creek Public Works. For children, there will be Red Cross clowns making balloon figures, face painting and a hot air balloon educational tent. Music will take place in the community tent. On Friday, BJ Etheridge will perform DJ duties from 5 to 7 p.m. and Whiskey Rhythm wraps things up from 7 to 9 p.m. From 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, it’s the Left Turn Blues Band and from 7 to 9 p.m., The Edge. The highlight of both evenings will be the two scheduled hot air balloon flights and the Balloon Glows. Visitors should keep their eyes to the sky between 6:30 and 8 p.m. both nights as the top 50 balloonists in Nationals competition will be flying. Then the attention will turn to the hot air Balloon Glows featuring the 15 fiesta balloon pilots and their colorful balloons. The fiesta balloons are not competing in the national championships, but are flying during the scheduled seven flights to add excitement and color to the Battle Creek sky and to provide families with up-close opportunities for fun during the balloon glows. Guests will be able to walk among the hot air balloons, once inflated, and collect the pilot’s autographs, take photos and maybe even climb into a basket or two. Balloon Glows will be from 8:30 to 9 p.m. both nights. The fiesta balloons include: Wes Dickerson of Milford flying Fore, Dave Emmert of Battle Creek in Cloud Nine, Dale Wilson of Augusta with Seventh Heaven, Steve Herbstreith of Battle Creek in Freedom, Pat Rolfe of Battle Creek in Firewalker, Mike Moore of Augusta in Shenanigans, Lee Edwards and Steve Peck of Battle Creek in Plum Crazy and Gypsy Wind, Tom Bergeon of Mason will fly the Remax balloon, Mike Nelson of Fortville, Ind. in his WGVU balloon, Chris Smart of Huntington, Ind. with Dream Catcher, Tyler and Dave Jaques of Battle Creek and East Leroy, flying alternatively Sugar Bear or the Post Balloon, Woody Watson of Caledonia, with the Patriot Eagle, Jody Leatherberry of Stockbridge in Phoenix, and Marsha Treacy of Statesville, N.C. flying the 70th anniversary Wizard of Oz balloon.
The community activities and events are free, but those attending are asked to bring a non-perishable food item to help fill a balloon “basket” for the Food Bank of South Central Michigan, the non-profit charity supported by the organizer, Holiday Balloon Fest, Inc. For more information on the U.S. National Championships and the free community events, visit www.bfa.net, e-mail infobattlecreekvisitors.org, or call (269) 962-2240.