A rainbow of colors lit up the sky last night at the Freedom Festival Balloon Glow.  Six hot air balloons hovered over the First Avenue lawn of the Brucemore Historic Site in Cedar Rapids as the Quantico Marine Corps band provided entertainment for the crowd sprawled across the grass on blankets and lawn chairs.

For me it was like taking a step back in time, remembering the balloon glow I attended with my family as a child – although there were no hot dog or Energizer bunny shaped balloons at this event.  It was fascinating to watch the balloon crew spread out the nylon envelope (the balloon part) so it looks like a giant parachute on the ground and then use high powered fans to inflate it.  The really cool part comes when the balloon is fully inflated and the propane burner is ignited, unleashing a burst of flame to heat the air inside the balloon and causing it to rise.

The music from the Marine Corps band was very good, although not was I was expecting.  Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever” and other full-band marches were nowhere to be heard, instead replaced with a jazz ensemnle doing covers of popular rock, country and pop songs.

While the balloons never actually left the ground at the balloon glow, it was still an impressive sight.  Walking around beneath them, I felt like a bug must feel, looking up at a large mushroom towering over its head.

Except these mushroom had fire inside of them.  At one point after dusk, the crowd counted down from 10 and all of the balloons ignited their burners simultaneously.  What surprised me most about the fire was how loud it was – the sound of even one burner emitting flames could be heard from the other side of the lawn. 

While I don’t think I could ever go up in a hot air balloon – though they are the oldest successful human-carrying flight technology – I definitely enjoyed seeing their magnificence up close.

– ERIN

Next on my tour: This weekend is the Freedom Festival Parade. It’s from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. in downtown Cedar Rapids. See you there!

Check out the Balloon Glow in action: