Hot air balloons will fill the sky above Medicine Hat from May 25-28 during the Rise Up Hot Air Balloon Festival.--PHOTO COURTESY LUKE FANDRICH
kking@medicinehatnews.com
Rise Up Hot Air Balloon Festival organizers are hoping to lift Hatters’ spirits and raise awareness of the importance of mental health during the festival’s return this weekend.
Kicking off Thursday evening, the four-day festival is a partner initiative between local hot air balloon pilots Willy and Cindy Taillon and Medicine Hat-based Our Collective Journey, which aims to foster positivity, connectivity and community.
“We just wanted to create a multi-day festival that brings the community together (to promote) community connection and hope,” said Willy Taillon, who in addition to being one of numerous hot air balloon pilots participating in the festival, is also its head organizer.
“It doesn’t matter what age you are, just seeing a balloon floating in the sky, it’s very peaceful. It automatically makes you look up and smile … You lose yourself in that moment and lose whatever stressors that you might be having, and just recognize that there’s beauty (in life and) there’s hope that we can all rise up at some point.”
Five hot air balloon flights are scheduled throughout the four days, however flights are weather dependent. (Last year, several flights were cancelled due to wind.)
Taking the unpredictability of weather into consideration, Taillon and other festival organizers are excited to introduce several new ground events this year including a showing of Disney’s Up! at Kin Coulee Park, a community fun event inside Co-op Place, as well as beer gardens and the Balloon Glow event where community members are invited to see the balloons up close while they are tethered.
Taillon says during its inaugural year, community members expressed significant enthusiasm and support for the festival. He estimates approximately 10,000 people attended last year’s festival, and hopes to see even more people this year.
All events are free to attend. For a full listing of events, visit ourcollectivejourney.ca.
