The One Of A Kind Festival You Won’t Find Anywhere But Kentucky
By Andrea Limke|Published April 17, 2017
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Andrea Limke
Author
A Cincinnati native who has lived in Kentucky for over 10 years, Andrea's heart belongs both in the Queen City and the Bluegrass State. After earning an education degree and working in that field for a number of years, Andrea began to pursue her passion for writing over 6 years ago. Since then she has written for a number of print and online publications, as well as published a children's book.
Everyone loves a good festival, but when you combine it with the biggest celebration of the year and add hot air balloons, you have a one of a kind experience that takes place in Louisville each year. As a part of the Kentucky Derby Festival, five separate balloon events will occur the weekend before the big race – this year that’s April 27th-29th – and it’s called the Great BalloonFest. It’s unique, mesmerizing and a Kentucky tradition that adds even more beauty to the Bluegrass State.
Each year in April, Louisville begins to celebrate one if its biggest attractions - The Kentucky Derby. While the race will be run on Saturday, May 6th, the city will host several events in the weeks leading up to it. One of the most popular and arguably the most beautiful is the BalloonFest.
BalloonFest is a combination of five different hot air balloon events that will take place Thursday - Saturday, April 27th through the 29th. The festival kicks off the morning of the 27th with a charity race. Local celebrities will team up with a hot air balloon specialist and take to the sky for a unique contest. Similar races take place Friday and Saturday mornings as well.
The fun continues on the evening of the 27th with the Balloon Glimmer. As a part of the Fest-a-Ville celebration along the waterfront, balloons will line up and then be lit up to illuminate the water. You can walk around and admire the wonder of the balloons and enjoy the festival.
On the night of the Glimmer, you may also consider scouting out a spot across the water to experience one of the most stunning views you'll see of Louisville.
The BalloonFest wraps up Friday evening with the Great Balloon Glow. Located at the Kentucky Expedition Center, the balloons will once again be lit up against the night sky. You'll have an opportunity to chat with the pilots and find out more about these giant beauties. It's truly a one of a kind experience that you can only find in Kentucky at Derby time.
Have you witnessed one of these spectacular hot air balloon events? Do you have a favorite? Let us know in the comments! Great BalloonFest takes place in various locations throughout Louisville April 27th – 29th. For more info on each event, visit their website here.
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