Photo by Saul Young

The crew of the Mayflower moving company’s hot air balloon gather inside the balloon during a pre-event kickoff for the annual Pellissippi State Technical Community College Hot Air Balloon Festival.

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UPDATE: FESTIVAL CANCELED: As of 12:25 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, the remainder of the Hot Air Balloon Festival was canceled due to inclement weather.

September’s final weekend brings a real glow to West Knoxville’s Hardin Valley Road area.

The sixth annual Pellissippi State Hot Air Balloon Festival is Friday, Sept. 25, and Saturday, Sept. 26, at the community college’s campus off Hardin Valley Road.

The festival is a fundraiser for Pellissippi State Community College; proceeds go to the Pellissippi State Foundation to fund student scholarships, academic programs, technology and school equipment.

Festival admission is $10 daily for a vehicle pass. Walk-ins are $5 a person. Festival hours are 4-9:30 p.m Friday and noon-9:30 p.m. Saturday. Saturday’s balloon launches and tethered rides start at 7:30 a.m.

Pellissippi’s campus is at 10915 Hardin Valley Road, just off the Hardin Valley exit of Pellissippi Parkway.

Aside from its philanthropic goal, the festival is becoming an annual fall event in East Tennessee. Ballonists from Iowa to New Mexico to Virginia bring their huge hot-air balloons. This weekend 20 to 25 balloons are expected. They’ll include one formed like a very, very big rabbit. The Energizer Bunny Hot Hare Balloon is 166 feet high with 60-foot ears.

Since the festival is an outdoor event, and balloons depend on weather conditions for liftoff and flying success, event organizers hope recent rains stop. Weather permitting, balloons launch into the air and fly about the skies. Launch times are scheduled for about 5 p.m. Friday and 7:30 a.m. Saturday.

Visitors can’t take a launched balloon ride but the festival does offer the next best thing — tethered rides. Those rides also are held weather permitting. A tethered ride is $15 for an adult, $10 for children ages 12 and younger. Riders have to be at least 3 feet tall. Tethered trips are scheduled 4-8 p.m. Friday, 7:30 a.m.-noon and 4 -8 p.m. Saturday.

One festival highlight are the nightly “balloon glow” held about 8:30 p.m. The balloons circle the college pond and light up to a choreographed musical program as the sun sets.

The festival isn’t just about hot air balloons. Music, arts and crafts and children’s events that include face painting and craft-creating, are included. Musicians performing include Fast Ryde, Homer Hart, J. Luke Cochran, Dishwater Blonde and Kata and the Blaze.

And then there’s the animal entertainment. The Knoxville Zoo’s talking superstar African grey parrot Einstein makes an appearance at 5:30 p.m. Saturday. This bird knows more than 200 words, phrases and sounds – her imitation of a space ship alone is hilarious. And a Missouri-based entertainment troupe of 14 dogs called The Ultimate Canines will perform six shows. These former rescues jump, dance, catch flying discs and generally entertain. Ultimate Canine shows are at 5 and 6:30 p.m. Friday, 2, 3:15, 4:30 and 7 p.m. Saturday.

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel
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