Plano Balloon Fest Begins; Huge Crowds Anticipated On Saturday Night

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PLANO: Returning this weekend is a well-liked fall celebration in North Texas. At Oak Point Park on the east side of the city, along Spring Creek Parkway, Plano is hosting its 45th Balloon Fest. People from all throughout the region attend the weekend event. When attending this festival, there are a few factors to bear in mind, such as the short window of time that balloons will be on park property. Thirty-five hot air balloons are expected to participate in this year’s celebrations, which feature the well-liked “Balloon Glows” at nightfall. Weather permitting, balloon launches will happen on Saturday & Sunday mornings (assuming winds do not exceed 10-15mph). The event’s website lists the restricted launch times.

Plano Balloon Fest Begins

Balloons Are Light Up To Get A Coordinated Spectacle

A popular event for the crowd is the Friday and Saturday night balloon glow, where the balloons are anchored and lighted up to get a coordinated spectacle set to music. “If you ever come and visit here at nighttime, the glow make it’s just off the charts, and it’s phenomenal,” Conway Corndogs’ veteran vendor Jim Conway said. The longtime executive director of the event is Jo Via. “We have families that came when they were children coming along with their children now, and that is an incredible thing for us to see,” Via remarked. “This has turned into a legacy event.” “We plan to light up the sky at the H.E.B. Central Market Plano Balloon Fest, which is this year’s theme.”

Millions of dollars have been generated for NGOs in Collin County, including the scholarship fund at Collin College, which she said is equally significant. “Everyone benefits from this because we’ve given many scholarships through our donations to the college, and they let us use their parking space for the festival,” the speaker stated. With the daylong event, Via wants to dispel any misconceptions. The aspect of it that confuses people is that, contrary to popular belief, the balloons don’t actually launch, soar around for the whole of the day, and then return. Due to heat waves and their limited propane supply, they are unable to fly, particularly in this area, Via added.

It’s Important To Take Care Of Your Health

“They pop the balloon, let it fly for a while, land, and roll it back up and inside.” Until it’s time to come back for the evening event, balloon operators usually leave the park grounds. Put another way, launching or inflating hot air balloons won’t take up a significant portion of each day. Still, there will be hundreds of food and product vendors, along with free health tests. In preparation for educating festival goers about “how vital it is to take good care of your health, especially your heart and the first step to knowing all your numbers, your blood pressure, your BMI,” Leslie Hill as well as her colleagues associated with Baylor Scott & White’s Heart Hospital spent Friday afternoon setting up a tent.

According to the event’s website, some balloon operators will provide fixed hot air balloon rides during the morning and evening. Several striking “special shaped” balloons will also be present. The largest crowds are expected for Saturday night’s Balloon Glow, so attempt to arrive at the park earliest, by 5 p.m., according to Via. Choose the early launch on Saturday or Sunday morning if the heat throughout the weekend worries you. Six a.m. is when the gates open.

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