Over the Memorial Day weekend, the fam and I went to the WRAL Freedom Balloon Fest. What a sight! When we first arrived, not one hot air balloon was to be seen. But soon enough, people started setting up and blowing up their balloons! Because of the weather, only two hot air balloons took to the air while the rest stayed tethered to the ground.
So how do these massive balloons get off the ground? Basically people hold the opening wide while a fan blows air into the balloon. Once the balloon is filled with enough air, the operator blows fire into the balloon, creating hot air, which causes the balloon to move upright and float. Hot air is less dense than cold air, so it rises. Neat, right?
Standing amongst the lit hot air balloons at night was like being surrounded by huge lanterns. I felt like I had shrunk to miniature size staring up at these massive balloons. They all light up simultaneously and then alternated, causing a blinking illusion. The epic Harry Potter and Star Wars music in the background made it that much more awesome.
Hope you had a great Memorial Day Weekend!
