April 24, 2015 Louisville, KY. – 26 Balloons will draw for positions in tonight’s U.S. Bank Great Balloon Glow at the BalloonFest Position Draw to be held today at NOON at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium in the Brown & Williamson Club. The Position Draw will determine where balloons will be located on the field for tonight’s Glow at the Kentucky Exposition Center. Results from this morning’s U.S. Bank Great Balloon Rush Hour Race will also be announced.
More than a dozen balloon crews participated in the third annual U.S. Bank Great Balloon Crew Challenge held last night at Kroger’s Fest-a-Ville. The crew with the UAW Ford Louisville Assembly Plant balloon won the competition which included three timed challenges. The tasks included rolling a balloon (weighing over 200 lbs) into a bag (along a 75 ft. course), inflating mini-balloons, and fishing a Pepsi out of a cooler full of Coca-Cola.
Conditions were windy but beautiful for the “mini-glow” on the Great Lawn. An estimated crowd of over 3,500 watched as 18 balloons participated in last night’s U.S. Bank Great Balloon Glimmer at Kroger’s Fest-a-Ville.
The Derby Festival balloon events remain one of Louisville’s favorite family traditions. Though not the largest, the race is regarded by pilots as one of the country’s most prestigious balloon events and began in 1973 with eleven balloons flying in the inaugural launch from Iroquois Park.
Remaining U.S. Bank Great BalloonFest Events:
- U.S. Bank Great Balloon Glow at 9 p.m. on Friday, April 24, at Kentucky Exposition Center. Gates open at 6 p.m. Admission is free with a 2015 Pegasus Pin. $8 KEC parking fee. Media Sponsor: New Country Q103.1.
- U.S. Bank Great Balloon Race at 7 a.m. on Saturday, April 25, at Bowman Field. Public entrance off Pee Wee Reese Road. Media Sponsor: 102.3 The Max.
The Derby Festival is an independent community organization supported by 4,000 volunteers, 400 businesses and civic groups, Pegasus Pin sponsorships and event participation. It entertains more than 1.5 million people annually. This involvement has made the Festival the largest single attended event in Kentucky and one of the leading community celebrations in the world.
