Each year Colorado Springs host the Annual Balloon Classic over the Labor Day Weekend. This year marked the 31st Anniversary of the nationally acclaimed event. I have lived in Colorado Springs for 14 years, and while I have always made an effort to see the parade of hot air balloons, this year was my first visit to Memorial Park for the early morning mass accent.
I got to the park just after 7am and the balloons were only just beginning to launch. I was immediately sent into sensory over load. I was like a kid in the candy store, I didn't know what to look at first. It was a fantastic, amazing kaleidoscope of color and shapes. The crisp morning air was ringing with laughter and heavily scented by sweet funnel cakes.
As each balloon lifted off, it glided gracefully over to Prospect Lake, right there in the park, and to the delight of the spectators, performed a 'Splash 'N Dash' which is when the balloon dips down to skim over (and sometimes even dunk in) the water before taking off again.
I had hoped to chase the balloons and witness their journey and decent but the wind was not in my favor. In past years they would drift to the south near my house but the same breeze that prevented the balloons from being inflated last night for the 'Balloon Glo', would return to guide the graceful balloons in the opposite direction, too far for me to follow. Still, the festival brought out the child in me and leaves me already impatiently waiting its return next year.
