Balloons Over Vermilion at Vermilion Regional Airport is ready to roll, with the gates opening at 3 PM Friday the 7th, and 1 PM Saturday the 8th. Balloons Over Vermilion’s Jim Anderson says despite what this area just went through with severe storms and power outages, they are ready to go for set up, supplies, and everything they need going into this major weekend. We spoke to Jim Wednesday afternoon, and he said on the Fourth of July, some balloonists were already up, up and away; and he feels good about things.
Audio PlayerAUDIO: We’d like to think that we’re ahead of the game. Mother Nature kind of kicked us a little bit, like everybody else. But we’re back in front of everything out here. We’re looking forward to a large crowd on Friday in particular. We had a flight yesterday (July 4th); we had five balloons up. And we’re looking forward to not only the Thursday night, but also the Friday night and Saturday night flights as well.
Anderson says that for during the course of Friday and Saturday’s activities at the airport, they could always use more volunteers; so go to balloonsoververmilion.com if you are interested in joining the team.
In addition to Friday and Saturday, you also heard Jim Anderson mention Thursday. And that, July 6th, is the night of what has over the years become BOV’s kickoff event, run by the Danville Boat Club, SPLASH AND DASH. As always, participating balloons will be coming over Lake Vermilion and looking to see who “hits the target.” As Anderson says, this has become a huge part of the whole weekend; and where the balloons take off from to get to the Danville Boat Club depends on the wind.
AUDIO: A number of local pilots who participate, but also a lot of the pilots from outside the area; they love flying out over the lake. They love the reception that they get from the crowd, not only at the Boat Club but all up and down the shoreline and across the lake. More often that not the wind is out of the south, so as a result they’d be coming from the south side of the lake. But we won’t know that until Thursday.
Anderson says most Splash and Dash participants leave their take-off locations around 6:30, with the trips taking anywhere from less than a half hour to 45 minutes, so head to the Danville Boat Club in time if you’d like to see their arrivals.
FOR ADDITIONAL BALLOONS OVER VERMILION INFORMATION, SUCH AS MAPS AND A COMPLETE FIELD LAYOUT OF THE DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES AND ATTRACTIONS AT VERMILION REGIONAL AIRPORT, PLEASE GO TO balloonsoververmilion.com
