Adirondack Balloon Festival
The fog hovers in the morning, illuminated by the rising sun, as the balloons are prepared for launch. Spectators roam about, waiting to watch the launch of hundreds of balloons into the morning sky. This wash scene each morning at the annual Adirondack Balloon Festival that takes place in Glens Falls, NY.
Each year the Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport is taken over for a long weekend by balloons of all colors, shapes, and sizes. The event consists of an opening ceremony, daily launches, craft fairs, and much more!
THE ADIRONDACK PARK
The Adirondack Park (ADK) is the largest protected natural area in the lower 48 states spanning over 6 million acres. Starting in near Lake George, NY the park spans north to the border of Canada. The Balloon Festival takes place at the southern entrance to the park in Glens Falls, NY. This provides a stunning backdrop of the ADK mountains for the festival.
The Launch Process
1. Unpack
Balloons are unloaded from trailers, trucks, vans, and every other kind of vehicle.
2. Fill
Once the balloons are laid out, they are filled with air from a large fan.
3. Guide
This process is truly a team effort as a helping hand guides the balloon from the back with a rope.
4. Ignite
The balloons are then stood up vertically with the help of the on-board torch.
5. Takeoff
And last but not least the basket is filled and off it goes!
Dozens of balloons soon fill the sky.
Launches take place
throughout the day
Sunrise
Mid-day
Sunset
As the sun fades, the ADK mountain backdrop creates a picturesque backdrop to enjoy a sunset as families enjoy the show.
The final show of the night is known as the night glow. Balloons are aligned and the torches are lit to light the balloons in different sequences.
