“We had to drift around to get a good landing site,” said Willie Danforth, the passenger in the specially shaped balloon. “We’d get up and get a spot then the wind would change and give us a different current. At first, we thought we’d get a chance to land at Veterans Park.”

The fancy balloon, one of two special shapes on the roster for the 2014 Great Falls Balloon Festival, eventually put down in a vacant lot on Pierce Street between Pine and Walnut. It immediately drew a dozen or so local kids, who helped Pilot Dave Reineke and his ground crew squeeze the air out of the balloon and pack it away.

“Well, we usually do get a lot of help, wherever we land,” Reineke said. “It sure looks like we created a lot of publicity for somebody.”

Friday morning’s mellow breeze meant that many of the balloons launched from Simard Payne Park and then circled the area, much to the delight of festival shutterbugs and organizers.

“The sun kind of went behind a cloud, but I think it’s going to brighten up again,” said Balloonmeister Mickey Reeder. “If it rains today at 1 o’clock, that’s perfect, if it’s in and out. That’s what we need. We just don’t want rain for launch in the morning and night.”

The festival’s second launch is set for 6 p.m. today. Launches are scheduled at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday as well, as long as the weather cooperates. Forecasts call for clouds Friday with more sun Saturday. Rain is possible Sunday, however.

The festival takes a mid-day break for the day, but picks back up in earnest at 4 p.m. with food booths opening at Lewiston’s Simard Payne Park and Auburn’s Festival Plaza. The children’s area and craft and trade vendors and the festival carnival at the corner of Chestnut and Lincoln Streets are both scheduled to kick off at 5 p.m.

The festival’s balloon moon glow, featuring festival pilots lighting the park with their inflated and lit balloons, is scheduled for 9 p.m.

Both Reineke’s Peg Leg Pete balloon and the Sunny Boy the smiling sun balloon will fully inflated but grounded for Friday night, but both should launch Saturday morning.

Reeder said organizers like to keep the specially shaped balloons on the ground at the night so festival-goers can see them.

“After all, it doesn’t look like much of a balloon festival if all the balloons are gone,” Reeder said.

Reineke, of Mahomet, Illinois said specially-shaped balloons like his Pirate Parrot need a little bit of extra care before inflating. All of the appendages, like the pirate’s peg leg, boot and tail must be set out and inflated. Flying them isn’t any different he said.

The festival continues Saturday morning with another balloon launch and a pancake breakfast at 6 a.m. and a special pancake breakfast with festival guests the Pirates of the Dark Rose at 8 a.m.

Pirates will set up their camp in the park and will participate in the festival parade from Academy Street in Auburn to Chestnut Street in Lewiston.

The pirates will present cannon lessons and a small arms demonstration and will host a “Buccanear Bootcamp” for kids 6-12-years-old.

The festival wraps up Sunday with more balloon launches, more pirate battles and more live music.

staylor@sunjournal.com

#GFBalloonFest: Watch the launch; share the launch

If you can’t make it to the Great Falls Balloon Festival this weekend, you can still watch each balloon launch on SunJournal.com. We will be sharing photos and videos of the festival fun in our social networks.

Look for our coverage at:

• SunJournal.com/BalloonFestival
• SunJournal on Instagram
• @SunJournal on Twitter
• Lewiston Sun Journal on Facebook

You can also share your photos by sending them to balloonfest@sunjournal.com. 

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