Balloons take flight over Morgantown

 

Eighteen hot air balloons brought color to the already-colorful fall landscape in Morgantown over the weekend.

The 35th Annual Balloons Over Morgantown event hosted four balloon launches and a NightGlow for participants to come and see the balloons in full swing.
Starting in 1984, Balloon Meister Van Anderson decided he wanted to bring hot air balloons to Morgantown after seeing them at a festival in New York for the first time. From there, Balloons Over Morgantown was born.

Andy Claydon, Balloons Over Morgantown Event organizer, said Morgantown is an enjoyable and interesting place to fly balloons, compared to other places he has been to.
“Flying over this countryside is wonderful,” Claydon said. “If you fly out west somewhere, you basically take off, and you land wherever you want to, and what you see is mostly the same.
This area is very challenging with the hills and valleys.”

The event previously started as a festival where guests could come park and watch the balloons take off all in one location. However, because of a lack of space, Balloons Over Morgantown has been launching the balloons all around Morgantown the past three years instead.

“The only time we can really get the public and the balloons together is at the NightGlow, because there is no area where we can park cars, have entertainment, fly the balloons and have everyone close to the balloons at the same time,” Claydon said.

Claydon said although the balloons fly over the place the event is, it is still a great way to bring the community together. He said he encourages everyone to come and try and spot the balloons when they are in town.
“I think the first time you see a balloon up close you’ll know why you want to go and see one,” Claydon said. “They’re a rather wonderful aircraft. After all, the first time man was ever able to fly was with the balloon. There is just something about them.”

thedaonline