2012 Carolina BalloonFest – See Hot Air Balloons in Statesville!

2012 Carolina BalloonFest in Statesville, NC © Katrena

October brings an explosion of color to the sky in Iredell County, North Carolina. Yes, the leaves display their amazing array of Fall colors. And one might see a beautiful bow arching through a raindrop's prism. But this colorful display is Statesville's Carolina BalloonFest.

Hot Air Balloon Festival in Iredell County, North Carolina © Katrena

The Carolina BalloonFest, known as the Balloon Rally years ago, has been delighting folks in Iredell County for 39 years. I remember growing up in Cleveland, North Carolina and being thrilled to see several balloons floating close enough to see from my home. Several crews said that must have been when they had the balloon festival in nearby Troutman. The event now beckons thousands of people to enjoy entertainment, games, food, and, of course, the hot air balloons.

Great Expectation Balloon Crew with Kathy Lazenby (seated) and pilot Jim Falls (2nd from left) © Katrena

Quite a few folks have made the event into an annual excursion. Kathy Lazenby says that she has been helping with balloons since the event started back in the 1970s. She first worked on a balloon crew for "Foxfire" when the Balloon Rally was in Love Valley. She says the event was only in Love Valley one year. For the last several years she has teamed up with Jim Falls and the "Great Expectations" crew, which is where I found them at the Statesville Regional airport for the 2012 Carolina BalloonFest.

Balloons at Statesville Regional Airport in October © Katrena

Delores Stewart, from King's Mountain, has been working with Jim Fall's balloon crew for twelve years. She must also especially like the event since she's been participating in Iredell County's balloon festival for 20 years. She also mentioned they have been to quite a few ballooning events in other areas, including the 2000 balloon festival in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where the event coordinators called for 1000 balloons to grace the skies.

Character Balloons at Carolina BalloonFest © Katrena

Crowds get the chance to see the crews set up and take off, but only the riders and chasers get to see them set down, typically about three to five miles away. That distance will usually take about an hour to travel, according to Mr. Falls. His crew smiles as they talk about the big crowd a balloon landing draws. Because few people know much about hot air balloons, folks on the ground nearby often think the pilot is making a crash landing. One time they even set down at a fish camp!

Setting Up Hot Air Balloon © Katrena

Not all of the crew members have been attending for twenty or more years. One young crew member has only been around balloons for eleven years. Elise Colbrum took her first ride at the rather tender age of three months, but she assured me that she is very interested in crafts as well as balloons and even had some of her work stashed nearby. Claire Colbrun mentioned she had attended a similar balloon festival as a pilot and that Tony Colbrun was a sponser at that time. She gave him his first balloon ride at that time and they became a family as well as a team.

Beautiful & Big Balloons in Statesville NC © Katrena

My oldest daughter thought "Christel Delight" was a really cool balloon. Casey Clodfelter, from Troutmen, has been serving on a balloon crew for fifteen years. She says that Bubba Winston is the pilot and he used to fly the DARE banner. The balloon he now flies sports the message "You and Me Drug Free" on the side.

American Cancer Society Balloon at Statesville Balloon Festival © Katrena

Another balloon with a great message is Carolina Blue, sponsered by the American Cancer Society. That special balloon is piloted by Marsha Treacy from Statesville, North Carolina. Quite a few cheers went up for the American Cancer Society's balloon, local pilot, and passengers!

Patriotic Freedom Flyer Hot Air Balloon © Katrena

A great variety of balloons graced the Carolina blue sky on Saturday, October 20 at the Statesville Regional Airport. From "Great Balls of Fire" and the "Purple People Eater" to "Evening Sunrise" and "Freedom Flyer" and everything in between, balloons danced overhead as spectators admired the special once-a-year sight.

Hot Air Balloons in Statesville © Katrena

All of my daughters were quite impressed as the balloon crews spread their envelopes on the ground, turned on fans, and finally fired up as each balloon became airborne above its gondola. It was hard to decide where to look because amazing scenes delighted us in all directions as the colorful orbs ascended, and many riders and pilots waved as they headed on their journeys above the beautiful leaves. I have to agree with one of the volunteers as he said with a smile, "There isn't a bad seat in the house!"

Fun Things to do in Statesville and Iredell County © Katrena

Find prices, directions, history, information about flying on a balloon, and more at the Carolina BalloonFest official web site. See a cool time-lapse video of the 39th Annual BalloonFest in Statesville on this YouTube video set to music and Katrena's article about the Night Glow Show at the festival also. See more of Katrena's family-friendly articles at Travel NC With Kids.