MONROE - Look skyward.
Weather permitting, hot air balloons will be flying above the Monroe area daily beginning tonight and continuing on through the next two weekends.
Monroe is hosting two back-to-back air balloon events, starting this weekend with the first ever U.S. Open National Championships and continuing next week with the 27th annual Monroe Balloon Rally.
Pilots are scheduling passenger rides at $200 per person starting tonight, June 6. For information on scheduling a ride, visit monroeballoonrally.com.
The ballooning competition begins Saturday morning with an optional practice flight for pilots from 5:30 to 9:30 a.m. The first competition flight is 6 p.m. Saturday. Competition flights are scheduled for 5:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily through Tuesday morning.
Organizers Matt Urban and Maury Petrehn are finalizing details on a "Glow Monroe" event Saturday evening, when pilots will "glow" their hot air balloons at various locations around Monroe. A map guide to the glowing balloons will be posted Thursday at monroeballoonrally.com, Urban said.
Next weekend's Balloon Rally will be held at the Green County Fairgrounds, 2600 10th St., and is geared toward spectators and participation, with live music, games, tethered rides, food, crafts and exhibits, as well as "glows" at sunset.
The rally is open 5 to 10 p.m. Friday, June 15, and 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 16.
Hot air ballooning is totally dependent on weather conditions, of course, so the best way to keep updated with the latest weather-related schedule is to follow the Monroe Balloon Rally on Facebook at facebook.com/balloonrally or on Twitter at @balloon_rally.
More information on the events is also available at the rally's website at monroeballoonrally.com and at the U.S. Open National Championships' website at open-championships.com.
- Katjusa Cisar
Weather permitting, hot air balloons will be flying above the Monroe area daily beginning tonight and continuing on through the next two weekends.
Monroe is hosting two back-to-back air balloon events, starting this weekend with the first ever U.S. Open National Championships and continuing next week with the 27th annual Monroe Balloon Rally.
Pilots are scheduling passenger rides at $200 per person starting tonight, June 6. For information on scheduling a ride, visit monroeballoonrally.com.
The ballooning competition begins Saturday morning with an optional practice flight for pilots from 5:30 to 9:30 a.m. The first competition flight is 6 p.m. Saturday. Competition flights are scheduled for 5:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily through Tuesday morning.
Organizers Matt Urban and Maury Petrehn are finalizing details on a "Glow Monroe" event Saturday evening, when pilots will "glow" their hot air balloons at various locations around Monroe. A map guide to the glowing balloons will be posted Thursday at monroeballoonrally.com, Urban said.
Next weekend's Balloon Rally will be held at the Green County Fairgrounds, 2600 10th St., and is geared toward spectators and participation, with live music, games, tethered rides, food, crafts and exhibits, as well as "glows" at sunset.
The rally is open 5 to 10 p.m. Friday, June 15, and 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 16.
Hot air ballooning is totally dependent on weather conditions, of course, so the best way to keep updated with the latest weather-related schedule is to follow the Monroe Balloon Rally on Facebook at facebook.com/balloonrally or on Twitter at @balloon_rally.
More information on the events is also available at the rally's website at monroeballoonrally.com and at the U.S. Open National Championships' website at open-championships.com.
- Katjusa Cisar