The QuickChek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning launched on Friday, July 29, 2016, at Solberg Airport in Readington Township.
READINGTON - Some 100 pilots from 19 states and six countries arrived at the Solberg Airport early Friday morning in preparation for the 34th annual QuickChek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning.
A morning rain shower halted an early-morning balloon launch for the media, leaving pilots to gather in the hangar waiting for the rain to pass so they could continue with setting up for the evening launch.
Although there is the threat of weekend rain lingering in the forecast, Howard Freeman, executive producer of the festival, said all activities are still on track. While balloon ascensions will depend on weather, the rest of the festival will continue as planned, rain or shine.
"We are still gung-ho," Freeman said. "You can't have a rainbow without a little rain."
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Some of the pilots have traveled as far as Thailand and Brazil to participate in the largest hot air balloon and music festival in North America.
Two new shapes that festival goers will see this year are penguins Puddles and Splash, brought from England thanks to the Exclusive Balloon company. Andrew Holly, born in the United Kingdom and pilot of one of the penguins, said Puddles and Splash are relatively new balloons. This will be their first time flying in the United States.
Holly has been piloting for nearly 20 years and has recently been added to the Guinness Book of World Records for flying in every state in the United States. In 33 days, Holly and his crew traveled over 23,000 miles to fly their balloons across the continent, meaning some days he flew as much as four times a day. Balloons fly best in the morning or at dusk, making additional flights difficult to plan and execute.
Puddles and Splash are just a taste of some of the never-seen-before special shaped balloons flying this year alongside old time crowd favorites.
"This is the year of the 'P,'" Freeman said. "We will have a pig, pelican, piranha, two penguins, and the PNC American Flag, the largest free-flying flag in the world."
Freeman said the QuickChek feature balloon this year will be a 115-foot-tall Farmer Pig, promoting QuickChek's new barbecue pulled-pork sandwich.
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Another new addition will be the Bimbo Bakeries bear. The Bimbo bear will be making its big debut at the Friday even mass ascension as it will be flying for its first time. The Bimbo bear stands 105 feet tall, is 78 feet wide and weighs in at 500 pounds. The pilot of the bear will be John Petrehn, a two-time World Hot Air Ballooning Champion.
Petrehn said the Bimbo bear balloon is just another way to connect with families as it will put a smile on everyone's face. "There is a certain magic about shaped balloons. They can turn the crankiest adult into the happiest of kids," Petrehn said.
The festival will offer 39 hours of morning to night family entertainment ranging from amusement rides to fireworks, a nighttime hot air balloon glow, concerts and death-defying stunts.
There will be two mass balloon ascensions each day. The morning rides will depart at 6:30 a.m. kicking off the festival with a picturesque view of the sun peaking over the Cushetunk mountains, and the evening flights departing at 6:30 p.m. providing the opportunity to witness the sun and sky setting into its evening glow.