Ohio balloon festival preparations have begun

An American state will witness around forty hot air balloons taking part in its Ohio Challenge Competition and Festival this summer. Scheduled to take place for the 11th of July weekend, the event will be located near the Middletown Regional Airport. Among the sponsors for the festival are Selection.com and Journal-news. Many hot air balloons are expected to take part in the competition, with pilots competing for the BFA Great Lakes Regional Championship and Ohio Challenge. Smith Park will also be hosting a festival, with highlights that include skydiving demos, fireworks, a carnival, evening balloon light-ups, and live entertainment. The event will additionally feature the ‘Warrior Weekend to Remember’, which honours US servicemen and women from the armed forces that have been injured during combat or training. Event manager Paula Hale said:

“Our committee has been hard at work to make this year’s Ohio Challenge another fun weekend with activities for everyone in the family. We’re in our 12th year and we continue to grow each year. But we are at the mercy of the weather and the winds.”

Further plans will see a golf day on July 11th and a 5k fun run on July 12th, in order to support the military charity. Balloon rides, tandem skydiving, night-time bow fishing and a visit to a baseball stadium will be included for the warriors and their sponsors. Figures from last year’s festival totalled to around 75,000 attendees, providing approximately $2m for the local economy.