The 5 Q's: Jean Pritchett shares details of 33rd annual Hot Air Balloon Regatta in Columbus

Sep. 26—In this weekly feature, we put five questions before someone in the community. Today, we chat with Jean Pritchett, of the Columbus Chamber of Commerce.

1. When is this year's annual Hot Air Balloon Regatta in Columbus, Kansas?

The 33rd annual Hot Air Balloon Regatta will be held on Oct. 7 to 9, weather permitting. The skies over Columbus and Cherokee County will be filled with colorful hot air balloons. This is the only hot air balloon rally in the Four-State Area, and we allow people to come out onto the field. They need to watch their step, but they can get up close to the balloons, take pictures, visit with the crew and see exactly what it takes to get them in the air. It's held annually in conjunction with our Columbus Day Festival.

The 53rd annual Columbus Day Festival will be taking place throughout the day on Saturday, Oct. 8 on the Columbus square. Activities will begin at 9 a.m. and continue until 3:30 p.m. Whatever your age, there will be something to enjoy — a parade, a car show, a heritage farm show with old-time machinery, crafts, children's corner, petting zoo, quilt show, inflatable's, sidewalk chalk, a cornhole tournament, entertainment and food. Space is still available for crafts and commercial vendors.

The complete schedule may be obtained at www.columbusdayballoons.com or by calling the Columbus Chamber of Commerce at 620-429-1492.

2. What is the event schedule for the 33rd annual Hot Air Balloon Regatta?

We plan four balloon events, weather permitting.

Friday evening begins with a balloon glow at dark in the industrial park on South Highway 69 and Merle Evans Drive. The balloons tether and inflate for about 30 minutes. It is gorgeous, and they'll hit their burners at the same time.

We have planned liftoffs on Saturday and Sunday morning, as soon as we can see daybreak, and at 5 or 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. The best flying times are morning, which is why it's so early. We are at the mercy of the weather. The wind can't be over 10 mph. If it's raining or foggy, we can't do it. It is a tricky event, but it is gorgeous when they go. It's very unique for our area.

Usually, the weekend draws a huge crowd. We get people from Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas. One year I had a family that drove all of the way from Pennsylvania because they saw an ad or an article in a magazine.

3. How did the annual Hot Air Balloon Regatta get started in the Columbus community?

We needed something to add to our Columbus Day Festival, and my background before I started with the Columbus Chamber of Commerce was in the aviation/airline industry. I had a little bit of background that I could pull on and put the event together. I was with an airline, and I was a ground personnel. I did a lot of charters, load counts, reservations, and I worked in a downtown ticket office. I've worked with groups, and after returning to the Midwest in this area, I worked for a travel agent who did lots of large tours. I served as the tour escort. Anything that flies, I'm ready for it.

Our very first regatta that we did, we had seven pilots attend, and it rained the whole weekend. We didn't get anything off the ground, so we figured that was going to be the end of it. But we have excellent members and a board who wanted us to try again. We tried again and continued it, and we've done it every year since. We started with the seven, and we've been as high as 20, which we won't take more than that.

This year, we have 11 balloons, but we're also in competition with Albuquerque's Balloon Festival because they always have it around the same time as ours. and 2022 is their 50th year. We're pleased with the 11 that we have. All of them, except for two, have been with us for 20 to 25 years. The other two that are fairly new have been here for five years. All of our pilots really enjoy coming here.

4. Why do you think the hot air balloon pilots return every year to Southeast Kansas?

I think why they like coming here is because they get a personal touch. They like our community. Since we don't have enough hotel rooms to accommodate all of them, we put them in private homes with host families. We're probably the only one that does it, and we're one of the smallest communities that puts on a hot air balloon festival.

Of course, the pilots were leery that very first year because they had no idea where Columbus, Kansas, was or who they would be with. All of them have stayed with the same host families from the time they started. They like it so much. I've had pilots who came back for weddings and graduations. We've had pilots from outside of here come back and purchase vehicles from our dealerships. They really like our community and have made lots of friends here. We're very pleased.

5. Does it cost anything to attend the annual Hot Air Balloon Regatta?

The only fee that we charge is a parking fee of $5. We give them a car pass when they enter, and then they can come to all four events with it and have as many people as they want in that vehicle.

Jean Pritchett serves as the director of the Columbus Chamber of Commerce in Columbus, Kan.