MONTAGUE, Calif —The Montague Hot Air Balloon Fair is taking flight.
A dozen hot air balloons are soaring to new heights over Siskiyou County. It’s all part of the Montague Hot Air Balloon Fair which dates all the way back to the 90’s.
This year’s event features 12 balloons with pilots from 4 different states. For Pilot Drew Brown, his interest sparked from his father.
“Next thing you know I’m learning to fly,” said Brown.
The Medford local has been taking people up to a bird’s eye view for over 20 years. Brown’s hot air balloon dubbed “Daybreak” is 77,000 cubic feet, that equates to 77,000 basketballs filling the entire balloon carrying up to 1200 pounds.
The Montague Rotary Club helped get the high-flying tradition off the ground.
“It’s a free event for our community to come and enjoy our beautiful scenery and our balloons and Siskiyou County,” said Heidi Martin with the Montague Balloon Fair Committee.
If you look up you’ll see Smokey Bear even lining the sky this year.
“It’s just so gratifying because the community really enjoys it they come from Medford, Redding, all over to enjoy the beautiful balloons it’s magical and mystical,” said Joan Smith Freeman, Montague Rotary Club.
If heights aren’t your thing, there are still tons of activities happening on the ground. The weekend-long event includes a night glow experience, a car show, live music, and food trucks.
And when it’s all said and done, how do people describe the experience?
“Beautiful is a good word, amazing, they are usually on a total high when they drop, ecstatic, lots of smiles.”
The hot air balloons will be filling the skies until Sunday. It’s free to the public to come to watch, but if you’d like to take a balloon it costs $250.
For a full schedule visit montagueballoonfair.com
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