Get ready to float up, up and away to wherever the wind blows. The annual Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce Balloon Festival is set to take off Friday with nearly two dozen colorful balloons scheduled to take flight all over Dutchess County.
"I think the best part is that there's no cost to attend," said Charles North, president and CEO of the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce.
The costs for the festival are offset by participating local businesses who sponsor the balloons that will launch from several locations across the county.
"We like doing things like this," North said. "We like to give back to the community and the business community likes to respond in this way."
This three-day event will also feature music by Evergreen Chorus of the Sweet Adelines and the Gillespie show. Belly dancer Sarah Bell will perform and the Center for Creative Education will present a hip-hop dance show.
An addition this year is a moonglow on Saturday at Waryas Park in the City of Poughkeepsie, where hot air balloons will be lit at night so the flames illuminate the colors of the balloon.
A mass balloon launch at the Hudson River Rowing Association Boathouse will be held at 6 a.m. Saturday and July 19.
"It's a sight to be seen because all of the balloons congregate together," North said.
Bad weather such as rain showers that seem to have become commonplace lately or strong winds could threaten the launch of the balloons but North said he isn't worried.
"We go with the flow," he said.
Interested in hopping into one of the baskets and taking in the scenery of the Hudson Valley while floating more than 1,000 feet in the air?
Balloon rides will be offered at each launch site for a fee.
The rides are approximately an hour long with balloons that can reach a maximum height of about 1,500 feet.
The path of the flight is determined by the wind, a method known as free flight.
Riders can travel an average of eight to 12 miles during the free flight with the wind also determining the location of the landing.
"You get in the balloon and land wherever the wind takes you. You never know where you're going to land," North said.
"We make a lot of new friends," said Bill Hughes, the balloonmeister for the festival and owner of Blue Sky Balloons.
Nervousness is a common reaction for anyone who has never ridden in the basket of a hot air balloon.
Hughes said in his experience most people are nervous because it's new, but riders often start to relax seven to eight minutes into the flight.
"It's not like an airplane. There's no vibration as they take off. Most people find it extremely enjoyable. It's very serene," Hughes said. "It's a totally different view of the world."
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