Balloons Over Vermilion organizers are extremely excited with the successful results of the second annual event in Vermilion County. “What we experienced over the weekend, and during the weeks leading up to the event, once again confirmed Vermilion County’s love affair with the magic of hot air ballooning,” said Pat O’Shaughnessy, event co-chair. “This year we hosted over 22,500 guests at the Vermilion Regional Airport, and unofficially hosted thousands more who witnessed hot air balloons flying over the county. Spectacular balloon glows highlighted both Friday and Saturday nights and thrilled the thousands on hand to witness the glows,” he added.
“In planning for this year’s event we anticipated and planned for a larger crowd joining us, especially after the response we received for our inaugural event last year. Our planning was well worth the effort, as our guest count increased by over 12% this year, and we fully expect that number to grow in the years ahead,” said Jim Anderson, event co-chair. “Responding to input from so many supporters last year, we made a number of changes to continue making this event both family-centered and user-friendly. The planning and preparation certainly paid off as traffic moved smoothly, the bus shuttle was again used heavily, vendor lines were shortened and pilot logistics were fine-tuned – all resulting in a wonderful experience for our guests,” he added.
Thirty-three experienced pilots, most of whom helped launch this event last year, were again invited to participate in Balloons Over Vermilion this year. “We had a great group of pilots to work with last year, and they all wanted to be a part of the 2017 event. They work extremely well with their sponsors and all the people in Vermilion County who look forward to their return each year,” said Joe Vincent, BalloonMeister for the event. Once again, pilots noted unusually large numbers of people “chasing” their flights, particularly on Saturday morning, when conditions were excellent, as they flew from various sites to a target at the Rock Church and then drifted across the community and outlying areas.
Event activities at the airport were busy both days as well. “After last year’s response, our tether balloon pilot had to bring two balloons this year and gave almost 800 rides during the two days, our helicopter pilot tripled his expectations by flying over 350 guests, our food vendors stayed busy keeping up with everyone’s appetites, the Kids Zone was packed both days with more activities for the kids, and the stage entertainment was awesome,” said O’Shaughnessy. “It’s all about the ‘kid’ in each of us, and it’s just an inspiring experience to be a part of,” he added.
Title sponsor for the event was the Julius W. Hegeler II Foundation. “Julius joined us at the airport both days, and was in the front row with all the kids for the Parade of Pilots, the launches and the balloon glows,” Anderson said. Last year theHegelerFoundation made a five-year commitment to help underwrite the event, and Mr. Hegeler has expressed his excitement to see the entire county enjoy, and in many cases actually experience the magic of flight. Organizers were thrilled with the number of local sponsors and almost 600 volunteers who once again stepped forward to bring the event to life.
Formal planning has already begun for next year’s Balloons Over Vermilion, again to be held in July.
