Lakeland's Up Up and Away hot air balloon festival draws pilots from across the country
In 2008, Ron Clukey of Juno Beach saw his first hot air balloon festival on a motorcycle trip in Wyoming.
“I saw the glow at night, and even to this day, that’s what I remember. It just had a big effect on me,” Clukey said.
In 2015, Clukey, 68, suggested hosting a hot air balloon festival to his investment partners.
“I spent four years going all around the country going to different balloon events,” he said. “I started a four-year journey into learning how to run one.”
The investment property is in South Carolina, but Clukey did some demographic research and found that Lakeland would be the better fit for a festival.
“Lakeland hosts the second largest air show in the nation,” Clukey said. “With camping associated with it (Sun ‘N Fun) and a big balloon field, it’s perfect.”
Roundabout: Construction begins on Drane Field Road roundabout in front of Lakeland Linder airport
Commercial air service? Lakeland Linder has 'truly viable options' for air service
Business development: New aerospace and logistics incubator launches at Lakeland Linder Airport
In 2019, the event came to life. Clukey recruited Scott McClinton of Louisville, Kentucky, as the balloon-meister for the Up Up and Away Florida Hot Air Balloon and Music Festival. The first festival was held in 2020, and after taking 2021 off because of COVID, it returned this year.
It started Friday and wrapped up Sunday.
“We link up people from all over the country to put together a festival like this,” said McClinton, 58.
Thirty-five pilots from places such as Arizona, Connecticut, Maryland and the Carolinas participated this year.
'I've flown all over the world'
Patrick Nilz, 24, flew The Cosmic Crisp Apple hot air balloon. The custom apple-shaped balloon is 85 feet, 440 pounds and has a volume worth 90,000 Cosmic Crisp Apples.
Nilz, a Tuscon, Arizona, native, took his first flight in a hot air balloon at 18 days old. By the age of 18, he had received his private and commercial balloon licensing as well as his pilot license. Some of his excursions included Canada and flying over the tulip fields in Holland.
“I’ve flown all over the world and I would say flying in Mexico is my favorite,” Nilz said. “You get a sense of freedom, that initial feeling of like you’re floating in the clouds.”
The festival included K9 demonstrations from the Florida Department of Corrections, axe throwing and live musical performances. Attendees also could sign up for tethered rides or private rides.
“We stay above the ground safe enough so we’re not looking in people’s back windows but not so high because we’re not trying to do what they do in an airplane,” McClinton said. “We’re not taking you long distance. We want you to see what you get to see.”
If you go
The festival starts at 3 p.m. Friday with the final show, the Balloon Night Glow Show, at 8:15 p.m. Events start at 7 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday with the Balloon Night Glow Show at 8:15 p.m. Daily tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the gate. Children 6 and younger are admitted free. A family pack of four tickets is $60. Discounts are available for active-duty and retired U.S. military, seniors and first responders. Tethered balloon rides are $20 cash only, and balloon rides with a pilot are $250 cash only.
For more information visit www.upupandawayflorida.com.
Breanna A. Rittman writes news features for The Ledger. Send your feature ideas to BRittman@gannett.com.
Correction
An earlier version of this story misspelled festival organizer Ron Clukey's name.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Up Up and Away balloon festival gets off the ground in Lakeland
