The RE/MAX of Midland Balloon Festival is celebrating its 17th Anniversary September 14-16, 2007, which kicks off the United Way campaign in Midland. The festival will kick off on Friday, September 14 when the balloonists hope to launch from the Dow Diamond if the wind direction permits. This will be the first launch from the Dow Diamond and will be a new experience for all the pilots to see the beautiful stadium that has brought a lot of excitement to Midland. The launch is usually around the same time the children go to school, which is always something for them to view and talk about. Later that morning the children get an up close look at the balloons when they visit area schools around Midland. The pilots talk about what they love and the children love learning about the balloons. We will visit approximately 25 schools. The Saturday night show includes a skydiving exhibition, which is around 7 p.m. Another popular event that we call the "Afterglow", is when the balloonists inflate their crafts and light the burners to create a warm glow. This event takes place both Friday and Saturday nights at dusk. Last year we had music by KC and the Gloworms, provided by First United Methodist Church of Midland. This was well received by people of all ages, that we asked them to come back this year and they will be performing both Friday and Saturday nights approximately 5:30 p.m. The public is invited to the Midland County Fairgrounds for all events at no charge other than a canned food item for the Food Pantry of Midland County. RE/MAX of Midland is probably the only big hot-air balloon show in Michigan that does not charge admission. Many people call us and ask how do we get a balloon ride? THERE ARE NO RIDES GIVEN TO THE PUBLIC. The pilots take up only the sponsors and organizations that help support the event.

The Balloon Festival is a community service. Sponsors pay for pilot's lodging and expenses and many balloonists take time off from work to join the event. Most of the pilots are hobbyists and many will participate in a balloon competition to earn points for the U.S. Nationals held annually in Middletown, OH. Pilots who do well in the Midland competition, which is a sanctioned event, can earn points toward their ranking for national competition.

The best way to view this event and to take pictures is to come to the Midland County Fairgrounds. For safety reasons we ask that you do not follow the balloons by car or do not cross the ropes on the fairgrounds and try to get a closer view of the balloons when they are inflating or landing.

If you would like to see what it's like to be a crew member, you can call Christie Hall at 989-923-4321 and you can volunteer to be a crew member for pilots that are in need. Crew members are expected to help throughout the entire weekend for the pilot that they are assigned. This is not easy task, but is rewarding and enjoyable.

THE FOLLOWING IS THE BALLOON SCHEDULE:

Balloons will fly on Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings at approximately 7:30 a.m.

Evening Flights on Friday and Saturday at approximately 6:00 p.m.

Skydivers are scheduled at approximately 7:00 p.m. on Saturday evening

AFTER GLOWS Scheduled for Friday & Saturday evening at DUSK

(All Scheduled events are Weather Permitting)

AGAIN, THERE ARE NO RIDES GIVEN TO THE PUBLIC

PLEASE REMEMBER YOUR CANNED FOOD ITEM FOR THE MIDLAND COUNTY FOOD PANTRY

We Hope to See You There!