Hot Air Balloon Festival to take flight

The Heritage Inn International Balloon Festival is back starting Wednesday afternoon.

Organizer Jamie Kinghorn says the highlight for residents near and far is the Balloon Glow Friday Night.

"This is when people can get really up close to the balloons, so that's going to take place on the west side of Centre (Street) in the old Wallaceville area there, some notes for people is we will be closing Centre Street at about 4:00 o'clock both northbound and southbound," he says. 

There will be paid parking areas at the Ag Grounds and across from Tim Horton's in the northwest and at the Co-op on 12th Avenue.

Cost is $20 a car and Kinghorn says bring cash because they won't have debit or credit facilities available.

Shuttles will take people into the Balloon Glow area.

A map of the Balloon Glow site

Kinghorn says when his old balloon wore out he realized how expensive a new balloon would be and a friend suggested he build his own.

"A light went on and I sat on an airplane with an XL spreadsheet and started putting different colours on the spreadsheet and came up with the pattern and of course I've always been fond of  Egyptian history and one of my favourites has been the Eye of Ra symbol and so I had to incorporate that in the design."

They're still looking for volunteers for Wednesday afternoon's flight, the only one of the day, so if you'd like to help out just go to the Heritage Inn at about 4 p-m.

Flights take place each morning about an hour after sunrise and again about two hours before sunset.