Of course, Katie and I wanted to see the balloons up close, prior to their take off. So we got up extra early, before sunrise to get to the fairgrounds. When we arrived, this is all that we could see. It was still pitch black outside.
We were there 45 minutes before the gates opened at 6 am. It was a rough morning for both of us!
But well worth the loss of sleep................
If we hadn't arrived before dawn, we would have missed the filling of all those beautiful balloons.
They made such a beautiful balloon landscape for us to enjoy.
And it was fun to peer inside the larger ones, like Smiley the Scarecrow, while they were at eye level.
Here is one taking flight, while another is still being filled.
They were beautiful, all lined up in the infield of the State Fairgrounds.
Our favorite was Smiley. Katie especially liked the little crow sitting on his shoulder.
He was a massive balloon, far larger than the others. And took much longer to fill with air prior to take off.
Here he is with his other balloon friends, for reference.
And on his own.
Here is Team Smiley, just before they left the infield, talking with those of us in the crowd.
So many bright colors to watch in the sky and on the ground. Lovely! It's beyond me how I did not know about this event.
Katie and I will be back next year, for certain.
We hope that Smiley will be back, too!
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