The Great Balloon Race in Galesburg will have all the colors, lights and gravity defying fun they’ve become known for in this 15th year for the Galesburg summertime staple.
The balloonists will do four flights and a night glow each night, half of them going on Friday and the other half Saturday at the Lake Storey soccer fields.
There are 20 pilots making the trip to Galesburg this year, one Mike England, a native of Galva is coming all the way from Phoenix, Arizona.
Greg and Jackie Saul have been behind the balloon race since the beginning.
Jackie tells Galesburg Live on WGIL that the race has been designed to be a summer event for the whole family.
“That’s the main thing we try to do is to bring people to the community and it’s a good family event,” Jackie Saul says. “It’s young for old and young alike. It’s just perfect.”
Kids will have plenty to do as Tuesday Cetin with the Galesburg Civic Arts Center will have a station doing crafts and Saturday a face painter will be around to paint for free.
As Greg tells WGIL it takes a lot of work well in advance to get the race off the ground.
“Actually I’ve already started for next year’s,” Greg Saul says.
Saul says that balloons will not be able to launch if the wind is over 10 mph.
