When Lisa Archer pitched the idea for a balloon festival at War Memorial Park to showcase the park’s new splash fountains, she crossed her fingers that maybe 5,000 people would show up for the festival’s inaugural weekend. “I thought that was a very lofty goal,” she remembers. So you can imagine her surprise when an estimated 35,000 came throughout the weekend last year.
The traffic was troublesome and food ran out early, but for a first-year event, you can’t ask for a better problem than too much interest. And this year, Archer and her team are prepared: “We’ll have more activities going on, better traffic control,” she says.
For those who aren’t familiar with the Great War Memorial Balloon Race, it’s a weekend-long celebration of the 200-year old sport, full of family entertainment including live music, games, bounce houses, Zumba and an array of food, beverage and merchandise vendors.
Oh, and balloons. This year Little Rock welcomes 25 balloonists from as far as Pennsylvania and as close to home as Arkansas, according to balloonmeister Mike Wilson.
“[Balloonmeister] means I’m responsible for all of the balloon pilots ... for setting up all the tasks and competitions,” he says.
It turns out the “race” part of a hot air balloon race is “a bit of a misnomer,” Wilson explains. “It’s more of a navigational task ... You’re using the wind to get from point A to point B.”
There are two potential navigational tasks balloonists will take part in this weekend. The first is a hare-and-hound, where the balloonmeister takes off from War Memorial in a smaller balloon before the competitors, lands in an undisclosed location and puts out a large X. The rest of the balloons follow in hot pursuit, find the X and drop a marker as close to the center as possible. The closest to the center wins.
The other possible task is called a fly-in task. Instead of taking off from the War Memorial golf course, this task requires the balloonists to fly into the grounds, find a pre-determined X and drop their markers there.
Which tasks the balloons face at 6:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday will be decided by Mother Nature, as weather and wind direction will dictate the course, but either way, festival-goers will enjoy views of the balloons in the air and the chance to get up close on the ground. “The cool thing about this event is it brings people out and gives them a chance to experience this up close and in person,” says Wilson.
For those who want to get really up close and personal, tickets for tethered rides will be available for $25.
Besides giving people some experience around hot air balloons and providing a fun family atmosphere, the Great War Memorial Balloon Race also exists to benefit some local nonprofits and community organizations.
“Although the Great War Memorial Balloon Race is a for-profit company, it’s set up to benefit the community in as many ways as possible,” Archer says. Local nonprofits, like CARE and Autism Speaks, will receive a percentage of the money coming in from ticket, beverage or merchandise sales. Other organizations will be set up with educational booths, and Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts will be earning badges.
New this year is the addition of a 5K Run and 2K Walk, called the Race to Emerald City, benefiting local Boys & Girls Clubs. Both race routes begin near the corner of Fair Park Boulevard and Markham Street and end at the Wicked balloon, in town in honor of the musical making an appearance at Robinson Center Music Hall in September. (Participants are encouraged to dress as their favorite characters, Archer says.)
“Most people have a balloon festival to educate the public about the sport and keep the spirit [of the sport] alive,” Archer says. “I decided to also make it where it’s community involved ... these nonprofits can have a booth to showcase their cause or try to raise money.”
“It’s really all just for love of the sport,” Wilson adds. “And we realize by using the sport as an avenue, you can make a lot of things happen.”
JUNE 21–23
The weekend is packed with activities, but here are a few quick facts along with what not to miss. For a full schedule, visit greatwarmemorialballoonrace.com.
ADMISSION: $5 for a weekend wristband, kids 12 and under get in free
PARKING: $5 for the golf course and surrounding War Memorial Stadium
DRINKS: $3 for beer, wine and Lime-A-Ritas
Keep up with the balloons: Follow 94.9 Tom-FM , 105.1 The Wolf and 100.3 The Edge, as well as KARK Channel 4 to track balloons during Competition Flights.
DON'T MISS:
FRIDAY: 4 p.m. – 10 p.m.
5:30 p.m. Opening ceremony
5:30 p.m. Tethered balloon rides begin
8 p.m. Balloon glow
SATURDAY: 6:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.
6:30 a.m. Competition Flight
8 a.m. Race to Emerald City 5K Run
9 a.m. Race to Emerald City 2K Walk
5:30 p.m. Tethered balloon rides begin
6:30 p.m. Lagniappe Band
8 p.m. Balloon glow
SUNDAY: 6:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
6:30 a.m. Competition Flight
8:30 a.m. Church service with music
3 p.m. Event closes with the release of helium balloons