Balloon festival returns to Muskogee
Aug. 21—Big balloons are set to return to Muskogee this month.
And if the weather's just right, people can watch those balloons light up the evening or simply float into the sky.
The third Oklahoma Festival begins at 5 p.m. Friday and runs through the morning of Aug. 29 at Hatbox Field. Admission is $10 per vehicle, and entry is only through 4000 Border Ave.
Festival Balloonmeister Chris Sabia said he's happy to return to Muskogee.
"Muskogee is an excellent place to fly," Sabia said. "It's a great venue to have a balloon event, there's plenty of room for the balloons and vendors and music."
He said this year's festival will be a couple of weeks later in August than in previous years "to maybe have some good weather."
According to AccuWeather's Muskogee website, temperatures that weekend are expected to be in the mid-to upper 80s, a few degrees cooler than this weekend.
Sabia said he expects 25 balloons from across the United States.
"Weather permitting, there will be a balloon glow and balloon flights on Friday and Saturday nights," he said
Balloon flights and competitions are set for the morning of Aug. 28. Balloon flights are set for the morning of Aug. 29.
Muskogee Parks and Recreation Director Mark Wilkerson said this year's festival added Sunday morning flights because high winds often hamper a balloon's ability.
"So we added the morning just to give us another chance for the balloons to fly," Wilkerson said.
Evening festivities include live music, helicopter rides, tethered balloon rides and on-the-ground inflatables.
"We'll have skydivers parachuting in. We'll have a fireworks finale after the balloon glow," Wilkerson said.
Food trucks and beverage trucks will be available.
The Tulsa band Nightingale will perform on Friday.
Tethered balloon rides are $20 per person. All ages are welcome. The tethered rides are tied to the ground and rise about 30 feet before returning to the ground, Sabia said.
Balloonists also compete in games, depending on the weather.
"Sometimes we will do a Hare and Hound where one balloon will take off from the field and the other balloons fly to it and drop a marker on a target," he said. "Sometimes we do a fly-in path where we will go out one to three miles and fly back into the Hatbox field and drop a marker onto a target. Sometimes we combine those where they do both. It just kind of depends on the day."
If you go
WHAT: Oklahoma Festival of Ballooning.
WHEN: Aug. 27-29. Gates open 5 p.m. Friday and Aug. 28.
WHERE: Hatbox Field, enter at 4000 Border Ave.
ADMISSION: $10 per vehicle.
SPECIAL ADMISSIONS:
—Inflatables — Wristbands, $10 per child ages 12 and younger.
—Helicopter Rides: $20, purchase onsite. Weather permitting.
—Tethered Balloon Rides: $20 per person. Weather permitting.
