Last year was a year where I kicked things up a notch. It was about getting out of my comfort zone and being a bit more adventurous. First, I learned about a hot air balloon festival from Facebook. Then I saw that my cousin was interested, so I thought it was worth checking out. Initially I was fine with watching others ride the balloon. Then I did a little research to find out the ride is tethered. This means it’s not going to fly around town, but just a few feet up in the air. Whew! This was even more proof that I could really do it.
A couple days later I saw in my Facebook feed that there was a chance to win tickets to the Hot Air Balloon Festival in Charleston. I said to myself, “Oh really”. Well I followed the contest instructions and I won. Now that I think about it, I was winning a lot last year. Anyway back to the festival. Here’s my recap on the event on what to expect if you’re planning to go.
Parking
You will have to pay to park. We purchased our parking tickets in advance online. This year parking tickets are $15 in advance. Parking is in a huge field and the grass wasn’t low cut, so be prepared.
Bring A Jacket
Although the weather was nice and warm when we drove out to Johns Island, the temperature dropped quickly. I mean it’s still Fall weather, so be prepared for cooler temperatures during the later evening.
Internet Access
Have your tickets ready before you get to the gate. If you have yours printed, great. If you don’t, I recommend to have the pdf tickets open on your phone otherwise you may run into some issues. The internet reception is not great in the rural area. I have a 4G phone and I struggled trying to open my email with the tickets. I had to find a good spot and stand carefully to access my email.
Music
There was a live local band that performed. They did a good job. They sang some current popular song for maybe 30 minutes. Plus there was seating available so you can sit and enjoy the music.
Food
Food trucks were onsite. The lines moved rather quickly. There were about 5 truck options. All of which I never heard of. I can’t remember the names right now. In order to purchase food you had to buy tickets and redeem them at the food truck.
Tethered Balloon Ride
At first the balloons weren’t blown up. I was startled just a bit. I’m big on starting on time, so I’m thinking these folks aren’t prepared and I’m hoping I don’t get on a faulty balloon. Everything workout in the end.
There’s several balloons on the field, so don’t worry you will have a chance to ride. Last year there was one long line initially. Then it became two lines. Shortly afterwards someone was directing you to your balloon.
What I didn’t know was there was a hot air balloon pilot! The thought didn’t cross my mind, but that’s the person who will control the movement of the balloon. Our pilot was really cool. When he started rocking the basket on purpose that wasn’t so cool. However, it was just my husband and I (and the pilot) in our balloon. The basket is small. I thought it was the huge one where several people get on at once, but nah. The ride was about 5 minutes or less. Yea I was scared a little. By the time we were coming back down, I had just gotten the hang of it. Lastly, ladies don’t wear a short dress. Take it from me. Again I thought the balloon had a door. Nope. You have to step into it. Well my dress was a button down. My prayer was, “Lord please don’t let my dress pop open in front of these people”. I was super careful getting on and off. Thankfully there were no wardrobe malfunctions.
This year’s festival Friday November 15th. Click here a for tickets if you plan to go.