Great Forest Park Balloon Race 2011
One of the highly anticipated fall events in St. Louis is the Great Forest Park Balloon Race. Held yesterday in Forest Park, the crown jewel of St. Louis, the race drew thousands who wanted to watch this amazing spectacle. This was the 39th year for the event. Over 40 balloons participated in the race. Traditionally, the race is started by the Energizer Bunny balloon which takes off first to lead the way. The idea of the race is not actually a race at all. It is more of an accuracy contest.
This year, the lead balloon was NOT the Energizer Bunny. Due to it's extreme height and the prevailing winds at the start of the race, it was determined that it wasn't safe for the Bunny to fly. Instead, a lead balloon took off in whichever direction the wind took it and determined the end point of the race by dropping a target. The "race" balloon pilots then try to drop a bag of bird seed closest to the target. The winner was Larry Owen from Danville, IL who was able to drop his bird seed just 10 feet from the target.
The tradition of the Great Forest Park Balloon Race is to have a balloon "glow" the evening before. Participating balloon pilots tether their balloons but inflate them by firing up the power source and allowing them to float above the basket. The sight of 40 balloons glowing is a spectacular sight that lights up the evening sky. Many thousand spectators gather to enjoy the sight and take stunning photos. Our favorite part of the event is the glow. In addition to the beautiful balloons, there is plenty of food and the opportunity to speak to the balloon pilots and their crews personally.
Already, we are looking forward to the 2012 Great Forest Park Balloon Race and invite all St. Louisans to put the event on their calendars too!
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