A fortuitous landing makes a family’s day during Pueblo Balloon Fest

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) - 25 balloons towered over Pueblo Friday morning to kick off the 32nd annual Pueblo Chile & Frijoles Festival. One of the bunch, sporting a cute pink fairy, made one young fan's day.

"I've never seen a hot air balloon this close and in my own yard, and it's just like. Wow, I'm so excited. This is the best thing that's ever happened!" said Kinley, a young girl who gleefully watched the balloon land in her backyard from her trampoline.

Kinley and her friends started waving at the Pixie Spirit Balloon as soon as it came into sight, and they didn't stop until it touched down on their land. It was a chance Kinley and her family barely missed out on a year ago.

"This is her favorite hot air balloon, and last year, we were actually at Langoni [Sports Complex] watching everyone take off, and the neighbors called and said they were in our yard. So we're really excited to actually get to interact this year," said Brittany Hawkins, Kinley's mom.

The Balloon Fest is a relatively new tradition added in 2021. It quickly became a beloved staple to kick off the festival before downtown floods with people on Friday afternoon.

The main festival is in Historic Downtown Pueblo off of Union Avenue. The three-day event starts Friday and wraps up Sunday.

Schedule

Friday: 3 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.

Saturday: 10 a.m. - 12 a.m.

Sunday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

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