FALLS CITY – It has been 24 years since Falls City hosted a hot air balloon festival, but Brenner Field is ready.
Aviation mechanic Brad Ahern said there is space to position 10 balloons, stage a live band, designate a beer garden and hold kids activities for Saturday night, June 15.
Oxymoron will perform and SchillingBridge will cater wine and beer.
Ahern: “It’s a good promotion tool to get people out to the airport and experience people that fly and get to meet them.”
The festival is scheduled 5 to 10 p.m. Balloons will take off at 7 p.m. and will return for a “field of fire” balloon glow after dark.
Ahern said after 24 years, the logistics are still a bit of a mystery.
Ahern: “I’m more of the fixed wing. The balloons is a special group. I don’t know a lot of details but from what I hear they will have a landing zone they pick out in farmer’s field somewhere they have trailers will go retrieve them and bring them back. Toward the evening they will set back up again and be tethered.
The Falls City Jaycees will hold a fly-in breakfast from 6 to 11 a.m. on Sunday and Ahern said planes are welcome throughout the weekend.
Ahern: “The runway will be open, so I’m hoping we will get pilots from the area that will want to come in for the event. They will be able to fly in and park on the ramp.”
Balloons are scheduled to depart at 7 a.m. on Sunday. There are no public balloon rides, but the library and public school have arranged rides as fund raisers.