High-flyin' fun: All Ohio Balloon Festival takes flight in Marysville
What did one balloon say to the other when it proposed?
You blow me away!
Prepare for some lofty excitement as the All Ohio Balloon Fest takes off Thursday through Saturday at the Union County Airport, 15000 Weaver Road in Marysville.
The event will feature singers Bret Michaels and Niko Moon as well as the actual stars of the show: the hot-air balloons!
The festival has become a Midwest attraction that people from all over the country come to visit. On the festival's website, they have a map tracking where in the country tickets are being bought — such as in Chicago, Boston, even Florida and California.
"It becomes kind of a draw for those families to play in their own get-togethers," General Manager Kevin Behrens said. "We've had class reunions happen at the festival before. We'll have an engagement every year, like we don't plan it, that's an every year thing."
When will the event launch?
On Thursday, gates will open at 5 p.m. for guests to enjoy food from over 20 vendors and beer, or even a helicopter ride for $40 a person. Helicopter rides must be booked the day-of due to weather.
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Weather permitting, balloons will launch at 6 p.m. and Poison frontman and rock icon Bret Michaels will take the stage at 8 p.m. Tickets to Michaels' performance are included with admission, but every guest must have a ticket no matter their age.
What's happening Friday?
Gates will open at 4 p.m. on Friday, with balloons to launch at 6 p.m. and country star Niko Moon to take the stage at 8:30 p.m. Guests who buy tickets on Friday can return on Saturday for no additional charge.
What is scheduled for Saturday?
On Saturday, gates will open at 2 p.m., with various live performances from a British Invasion cover band and The Groove. Balloons will launch at 6 p.m.
One of the balloons being flown at the festival is by Columbus native Trent Bishop, 35. He will be flying the Darth Vader balloon, which he has the chance to fly because the owners in Belgium have been unable to come to the United States since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bishop has to assemble the balloon with his crew, which is not a quick-and-easy process. It can take hours.
"It's just a labor of love and we just enjoy doing it," Bishop said. "It's great to see especially the kids come out and their faces light up."
Bishop loves taking people for their first ride on a hot-air balloon and knows that some people may be apprehensive to try it out.
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"I tell them they'll be surprised once they get in the air," Bishop said. "You'll feel a lot more comfortable. I tell them if they get nervous or feel like it's too much, just close your eyes and imagine yourself standing on the ground."
Bishop is excited to "glow" in the background of the concerts in the Darth Vader balloon.
"If I can hear (the music), usually what I do because I'm a drummer — if you're at a balloon rally and you see the balloon lighting up right with the beat, that's me," he said.
Ticket Prices
Thursday: $49.99
Friday: $29.99
Saturday: Free if ticket purchased on Friday, otherwise $10.99
On Friday and Saturday, admission is free for ages 10 and younger.
For more information about tickets, visit https://bit.ly/3BQ7Wxd.
Attraction Prices
Hot-air balloon rides: $249 a person, $500 for two people
Bi-plane rides: $80 a person
Helicopter rides: $40 a person
Tethered balloon rides: $20 a person
For more information about waivers and height requirements, visit https://bit.ly/3BQ7Wxd. All rides are weather permitting.
David Kwiatkowski is a features intern for The Columbus Dispatch. You can reach him on Twitter @kwiatkdm or his email dkwiatkowski@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: All Ohio Balloon Festival 2022 returns to Marysville
