Day 1 of Labor Day Lift Off gets underway
During the early hours Saturday morning, the first hot air balloons of the 42nd Labor Day Lift Off could be seen leaving the ground over memorial park.
Even with the early morning start, memorial was filled with Colorado Springs residents and tourists looking to get a first look at the balloons.
For those that have seen the event before, they already have their favorites.
“Darth Vader!” says Colorado Springs resident Chris Rueckert of Colorado Springs when asked which balloon is his favorite. Rueckert says he has been attending the Lift Off for around ten years. “Yes, the Darth Vader is a pretty cool balloon.”
But for those seeing 70 hot air balloons fly over memorial park for the first time, they are quick to pick out their own favorite.
“This is phenomenal, unbelievable,” said Cathy Halin, who hails from New York City. Today is her first time seeing the hot air balloons take flight. “The red crab one was really cool. I just love them all. I’m waiting for the scarecrow and dinosaur.”
However, the fun isn’t only reserved for the onlookers and tourists. Pilots mark this event on their calendars as well.
“Especially here around Colorado Springs with the Garden of the Gods and all the mountains to the west of us there are some great sights to see,” said hot air balloon pilot Paul Petrehn. “We got the lake where we try to take a splash-and-dash if we can.”
However, 42 years of hot air balloon fun might not have been possible without Dewey Reinhard. Reinhard founded the Lift Off and ran the event for nineteen years. Now, he says the event is in good hands and continues to fly high, he can sit back and admire his work. “Actually we never expected it to ever be this big to be quiet honest,” said Reinhard. “Just to see the looks on little kids faces out here. It makes it all worthwhile.”
The event is ongoing all Labor Day weekend, kicking off each morning at 7 AM and ending at 10 PM. If you can’t make the morning lift off you can always check out the balloon glow in the evening. Admission is free to the public.
