The New York State Festival of Balloons, hosted in Dansville, showcased multiple shape balloons such as “The Flying Purple People Eater,” and “Billy the Kid.”(Courtesy of Tyler Heiman)
The New York State Festival of Balloons had another year of successful hot air balloon launches from Friday Aug. 30 to Monday Sept. 2 in Dansville. The festival is held annually over Labor Day weekend and attracts thousands of spectators every year.
The balloon festival is run by different volunteers from Dansville who help to set up the vendors and the pilot meeting tent. Gerri Waight and Dorothy Hotchkiss plan the balloon festival every year, and they also make sure that the balloon launches are safe and happen as planned.
Three out of the six total balloon launches had the perfect weather for flying. Twenty-two balloons attended the festival this year at the Dansville Airport.
The balloon launches happened from Aug. 30 at 6 p.m. until Sept. 2 at 6 a.m. A new balloon this year, “GLOW,” was held after the first launch at the Dansville Airport after being moved from the Dansville Golf Course.
The festival’s first morning launch, on Saturday morning, proved to be a successful one. The 17 hot air balloons headed in different directions as the winds changed; Saturday was the perfect day for balloon flights, including the evening launch.
That evening launch drew a crowd to see the balloons. Six of the seven special-shape balloons remained on the ground to bring the spectators onto the field after the balloon launch to take photos and collect balloon cards.
John Cavin is a balloon pilot for different special shape balloons. He first flew “The Flying Purple People Eater” in 1997. Cavin currently owns eight shape balloons that he keeps at his company, Cartoon Hot Air Balloons, when he is not flying them at a festival.
This year, Cavin brought “The Flying Purple People Eater,” “Billy the Kid,” “Tweety Bird” and “Sylvester,” which are four of the shape balloons that he owns.
Dave Reineke is also a pilot for a shape balloon. He brought “Pegleg Pete,” the pirate parrot to the festival. Reineke, along with his crew chief Kathy, bought “Pegleg Pete” from Brazil.
The last shape that was at the festival this year was “Pig Headed” which is owned by Keith Sproul. Sproul has been coming to the Dansville festival for many years and currently makes hot air balloons at his house in New Jersey. Sproul also attends different festivals every year.
The Sunday and Monday flights were canceled due to weather conditions, which ended the festival until next year.
If you have the opportunity, come to Dansville next year and check it out!