NJ balloon festival takes flight, with plenty of hot air
READINGTON – Eleven-year-old Hudson Frese of Three Bridges held tightly to the rope of the 80-foot, 807-pound Anniversary Cake hot air balloon as it was inflated Friday morning as part of the kickoff to the 40th annual New Jersey Lottery Festival of Ballooning.
It was Hudson’s first time working crew at the three-day event at Solberg Airport that will feature 75 balloons from across the country flying twice a day over Hunterdon County.
"The most exciting part was getting to see it go up, along with all the other balloons,” he said. “It was amazing to get to see it stand in front of the sun.”
Hudson said he might want to pilot a hot air balloon one day, and he's hoping by working crew this weekend he might get to go on his first balloon ride.
"I have been coming to the balloon festival for 36 years, and we moved out to Hunterdon County because we love the area and love the balloons flying over our house," said his mother, Melissa Frese. "My son loves the balloons as much as I do, so anytime we see them we are running, chasing them; we jump in the car and follow them places, and this year we were asked to help crew, which was an amazing offer."
Frese said her son happily got up before 5 a.m. to help inflate the balloon.
"He was excited to help participate," she said.
The event, considered the largest summertime hot air balloon and music festival in North America, is celebrating 40 years showcasing the magic of ballooning. Mass hot air balloon inflations and ascensions are scheduled for 6:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. each day through Sunday, weather permitting.
Howard Freeman, the festival’s executive producer whose team has been involved for the last 30 years, said he's looking forward to a great weekend, even with dangerous heat forecasted Friday and Saturday.
"We're knowledgeable about the heat. I'm worried about the comfort of the people. We have a number of misting tents, a number of shade tents, a tanker where people can refill the water bottles they buy here; we'll have 12 water stands," Freeman said.
As for the balloons, Freeman said the heat determines how much weight they can lift, adding the balloons may not be able to take as many passengers.
New balloons this year include a 65-foot, 750-pound Lucky pink pig, New Jersey Lottery's signature balloon; a 70-foot "First in Flight" replica of the Montgolfier's balloon with a sheep, duck and rooster; and an 80-foot old-fashion alarm clock.
New features for the 40th anniversary include a Dazzling Drone Show by Progressive Friday and Saturday nights, instead of fireworks, and the first South Asian concert with Parth Oza, featuring Bollywood and Punjabi music, as well as KC and the Sunshine Band Saturday night.
Music by Fitz and The Tantrums, Everclear and Lit, and children's recording artist Laurie Berkner are scheduled, as well as a hot air balloon glow, 5K race, Fearless Flores family thrill show, children's amusement rides and more than 200 vendors.
"It's our 40th anniversary and we're throwing a party for 150,000 plus of our best balloon friends," Freeman said.
'Whimsical aviation'
Dick Young, of Parsippany, pilot for the Going My Way balloon, has been ballooning for 47 years with his wife Mary Beth, a commercial pilot.
Young said he likes this event because it's in one of his home flying areas, Solberg Airport.
"It's great to come when there are this many other balloons in the area we love, to fly over beautiful countryside, farms, fields, forests, small towns and church steeples. Ballooning is very whimsical aviation," said Young who has been coming to the festival for 26 years.
He emphasized ballooning is not a solo sport and the joy comes from sharing it with others.
"When we take off, we never know where we will land and when we go flying, we get to meet other people and that's one of the joys, meeting those landowners,” he said. “There are so many good people out there in this world and it's fun to see who we are going to meet today.”
Michael Glen, pilot for a one of the 110-foot bumblebee balloons, had trouble starting his fan that blows air into the balloon, before borrowing another pilot's fan.
"That's the fun part about ballooning, we're all one big family,” he said. “We all know each other even though I live in Arizona and he lives here in New Jersey. We're all here to help each other because we all enjoy this activity.”
Glen, 48, a paraplegic pilot, said he was born into ballooning. His father was a pilot, and he took his first ride at just two weeks old.
"I grew up around balloons my whole life and got my license in 2006. At that point I was already in a wheelchair from a car accident that left me paralyzed," he explained. "The thing I try to spread is you can achieve anything you want; you just have to do everything you can to do it. I was told by the FAA I couldn't get my pilot's license, but I knew I could, and I went out and knocked on more doors until I got the right answer. I'm doing everything I can to live my life as full as possible."
Glen said ballooning turns everyone into a 10-year-old kid looking at big colored balloons in the air.
"If you look at anybody's eyes here, they are all big. It's a really cool experience," he said. "One of the really cool things when you are flying on a really clear day is you can see the (Philadelphia) skyline and the New York City skyline, and the crowds are amazing; it's just an awesome experience."
Pilot Tracy Leaver, of Pittstown, who has been coming to the festival for about 20 years, said it's a fun way to spend time with other pilots and give the opportunity of flight to the public.
"It's always special. We love to fly," she said, adding there is no reason women and young ladies shouldn't be involved in hot air ballooning either as crew or pilot. "There are no limitations. We can do this."
Leaver said she will be paying close attention to this weekend's heat in terms of the impact on the balloon, and make adjustments as needed, as well as the crew, fellow pilots and people on the ground.
"We'll be keeping an eye on everybody and making sure everyone is safe, and if a pilot decides not to fly with the heat, there is a really good reason for it," she said.
Laura Bisone, of Franklin Lakes, and her husband, Giancarlo, a photographer, brought their 11-year-old grandson Sean to see the balloons inflated as part of Camp Nonni, a family tradition in which they take one of their grandchildren and find things to do based on the child's age and interests.
"We thought he would enjoy the balloons. He loves seeing how things work and how to build things, Bisone said.
"It's really cool," Sean said, but added he didn't want to go for a balloon ride.
Megan Stepanchenko, of Branchburg, said her family adores the balloons.
"We see them going up all times of the year. It's just amazing to come out and see them. It's like something you've never seen before in your life," Stepanchenko, who was joined by her husband, Max, and daughters, Maya, 3, and Lilly, 2, said. "All the fun shapes, it's just a very fun event".
Stepanchenko and her husband said last year their children loved the lion and the panda and this year they spotted the pink pig. They have been coming since before they married and use to crew and think their daughters might also want to crew one day.
"When we pulled into the parking lot, she (Maya) was screaming balloons," her mom said.
Kate Sabella, of Bridgewater, came to the morning balloon launch with her son, Jacob, 9, daughter, Julie, 6 and her husband, Mark.
"We're only 10 minutes away and this is such a great opportunity for them to see the balloons up close,” Sabella said. “Because we're close sometimes we chase and help roll up some of the balloons that land.”
“The pilots are so kind with the kids. It's such a family-friendly thing to do," she added.
Email: srussell@gannettnj.com
Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ balloon festival opens at Solberg Airport in Readington
