We arrived at Centennial Park in Gardner, KS at about 7:00 PM. Hundreds of others had already come to watch the balloons launch too. Parking was at a premium. We had a long walk once we found a parking spot. Although a few balloons were stretched out on the ground, none were being inflated yet.
After twenty minutes fans were being used to blow air into the balloon gondolas prior to using the burners to heat them for launch.
Soon a couple of balloons were ready to launch.
The first one to launch went up and right over our heads.
The kids played while waiting for more balloons to launch.
As the sun began to set, more balloons were inflated. Notice the cat balloon on the right complete with protruding face, legs and tail. These balloons were not destined to launch but would sit on the ground and light up the night. The pilots fired up their burns from time to time to keep the gondolas inflated.
Once the balloons were up with gondolas inflated and all lined up, the crowd was allowed to venture close..
The pilots were available to answer questions.
Everyone had a good time and left the festival with fond memories of a special and unique opportunity.
Balloon Launch Video
Lighting the Night with Gondolas
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