The Bluegrass Balloon Festival, formerly called the Adam Matthews Balloon Festival, is the fifth largest hot air balloon festival in the United States, and the largest in the state of Kentucky. It is held annually in late September at Bowman Field in Louisville, Kentucky.
The festival features up to 100 hot air balloons participating in three early morning balloon races and two evening balloon glows. Other events include four live concerts, 11 free children's activities, and a car show featuring more than 150 classic, exotic, and modified cars. There is also a balloon education center teaching the fundamentals of ballooning, as well as food, a beer garden, and other activities. It is common to have crowds of more than 100,000 on the busiest day of the festival. Many events are held during the three days. One of the more popular attractions is the evening balloon glow, when balloons are inflated and glow to music after dark. Another is the early morning balloon race with a cash prize for the winner.
The Adam Matthews Balloon Festival celebrated its last festival in September 2006. The festival was purchased by The Spirit of Kentucky Foundation and was renamed the Bluegrass Balloon Festival.
Read more about Bluegrass Balloon Festival: History
Famous quotes containing the words balloon and/or festival:
“When I am on a stage, I am the focus of thousands of eyes and it gives me strength. I feel that something, some energy, is flowing from the audience into me. I actually feel stronger because of these waves. Now when the play’s done, the eyes taken away, I feel just as if a circuit’s been broken. The power is switched off. I feel all gone and empty inside of me—like a balloon that’s been pricked and the air’s let out.”
—Lynn Fontanne (1887–1983)
“Don’t you know there are 200 temperance women in this county who control 200 votes. Why does a woman work for temperance? Because she’s tired of liftin’ that besotted mate of hers off the floor every Saturday night and puttin’ him on the sofa so he won’t catch cold. Tonight we’re for temperance. Help yourself to them cloves and chew them, chew them hard. We’re goin’ to that festival tonight smelling like a hot mince pie.”
—Laurence Stallings (1894–1968)