Sky Party: See photos from the Montague Balloon Festival

Sep. 26—The three-day Montague Balloon Fest last weekend in Montague, California, 43 miles south of Ashland, included bands, a car show, a community parade, a cornhole tournament, a flea market and much more, but the centerpiece was clearly the hot-air balloons that delighted spectators who came to watch them launch at dawn. And while all of the balloon pilots drew oohs and aahs, the crowd favorite was the Smokey Bear Balloon, with its familiar face and a hat brim that measures 72 feet in diameter.