Lake George, New York held its annual Hot Air Balloon Festival the last weekend in September and rain and fog hampered the efforts initially but the balloons ultimately triumphed over the adverse weather. Hot Air Ballooning began with the Montgolfier brothers in France in 1783 and has not changed all that much in the centuries since. The original balloons were made of paper and ladies silk undergarments and were attacked with pitchforks when they landed, uninvited, in farmer's fields. The custom of tying a bottle of champagne to the balloon began then as a way to appease the angry farmers and continues as a tradition to this day, now being toasted by the passengers after a successful flight.
Today's balloons are made of nylon and polyester, coated, heated by propane gas and can cost up to $60,000, with a wicker basket to carry passengers. This year's festival featured balloons shaped like strawberries, pumpkins, bugs, panda bears, super heroes as well as balloons in rainbow colors, with stars, elephants and giraffes. The spectacle of up to 90 balloons decorating the sky is well worth the trip.
A local participant is Firefly Balloons, piloted by Frank Bart out of Plymouth, CT. Call 860-584-1300 or online at www.adventureballoon.com or e-mail at info@adventureballoon.com for prices and dates. The sky's the limit!
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