Those of us lucky enough to live in Cedar City, Utah are proud of the designation Utah's Festival City. The SkyFest Balloon Festival is a relative newcomer to the calendar of events taking place through the year. It is also one of the most beautiful visual events of the year.
This year twenty balloons with their pilots and crews put on a spectacular show for the residents and visitors alike. Just before sunrise the balloons are unpacked and the crews begin to inflate the envelopes. The vendors are set up with food, souvenirs, and other items for sale. The crowd wanders through the maze of fabric, support vehicles and guy ropes watching the colors unfold as the balloons start to rise above the turf of Bi-Centennial Park. As the balloons get ready the members of The Cedar City Radio Control Club ready a variety of radio controlled model aircraft.
Cedar City's Red Hill glows with the first rays of the rising sun, and they're off! Within a short time all twenty balloons dot the fall sky. The chase crews pack up the supplies and follow their balloons where ever the wind carries.
Thanks to the pilots, crews, sponsors, and mostly to the volunteers for this and all the other events that help to make Cedar City such a great place to live.
