Basic HTML Version
2
TIGARD FESTIVAL OF BALLOONS
June 20, 2013
FRIDAY, JUNE 21
(All You Can Ride Carnival Day)
■
5:45-6:15 a.m. — Hot-air balloon
launches (weather permitting)
■
10 a.m.-11 p.m. — Funtastic Shows
Carnival
■
Noon-4 p.m. — GameTime Fun Zone for
kids
■
1 p.m. — Six vs. six soccer tournament
begins
■
3-11 p.m. — Arts and crafts booths
open
■
3-11 p.m. — Rogue Ales beer tent open
■
5-11 p.m. — Live music on the Frontier
Main Stage
■
Dusk — Night Glow (weather
permitting)
SATURDAY, JUNE 22
■
5:45-6:15 a.m. — Hot-air balloon
launches (weather permitting)
■
9 a.m. — Six vs. six soccer tournament
begins
■
9 a.m.-11 p.m. — Funtastic Shows
Carnival
■
11a.m.-11 p.m. — Craft vendor and
business expo booths open
■
11 a.m.-11 p.m. — Rogue Ales beer
tent open
■
Noon-5 p.m. — GameTime Fun Zone for
kids
■
Noon-6 p.m. — VERIS Industries
company picnic
■
5-11 p.m. — Live music on the Frontier
Main Stage
■
5-7 p.m. — Rib and corn-eating
contests
■
6:30 p.m. — Twilight Mile Run begins
■
7-9 p.m. — Twilight Run 5K
■
Dusk — Night Glow (weather
permitting)
SUNDAY, JUNE 23
■
5:45-6:15 a.m. — Hot-air balloon
launches (weather permitting)
■
9 a.m. — Six vs. six soccer tournament
nal day
■
9 a.m.-5 p.m. — Funtastic Shows
Carnival
■
10 a.m. — Festival of Cars presented by
Landmark Ford Lincoln
■
11 a.m.-4 p.m. — Rogue Ales beer tent
open
■
11a.m.-5 p.m. — Craft vendor and
business expo booths open
■
3-5 p.m. — Festival of Cars awards
ceremony
■
5 p.m. — Festival closes
Schedule of Events
(Subject to change at any time)
By GEOFF PURSINGER
The Times
L
ook! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a
plane! It’s ... the Tigard Festival of
Balloons, of course, which returns to
Cook Park June 21 through June 23
with new events, new balloons and plenty of
high-flying fun.
As usual, the three-day event attracts hot-
air balloons from across the country.
But if you’re looking to see the balloons
launch, you’ll have to set your alarm. The
balloons launch early, between 5:45 and 6:15
a.m., but don’t let the early hour stop you.
The festival will run all day with tethered
rides for festival-goers and a host of new
and returning events.
There are a few things to look forward to
before the balloons start flying.
New balloons, free rides
All the usual favorites will be there: The
morning balloon launches, evening Night
Glow, music, carnival rides, car show, soccer
tournament and rib-eating contest.
Every year, the morning balloon launch
features new balloons, and this year is no
different.
More than 20 balloons from across the
country will pack Cook Park this weekend,
including several special balloons sure to
spark your imagination.
Along with the standard balloons, the fes-
tival will showcase special balloons shaped
like a panda, Humpty Dumpty, a large pur-
ple alien and Looney Tunes character Pepé
Le Pew.
After the balloons launch in the morning,
the festival will inflate special tethered bal-
loons that will take visitors on short flights
above the field.
The tethered rides are free, and available
all three days, weather permitting, accord-
ing to Cindy Padilla, the festival’s main orga-
nizer.
The rides are open to anyone age 6 or old-
er, as long as they are tall enough to see
over the sides of the balloon’s basket, Padilla
said.
New race joins Twilight Run
Also new this year is the Twilight Mile to
accompany the annual Twilight Run. The
mile race is a shorter distance than the Twi-
light Run’s customary 5K, and open to kids
and adults of any age.
The race begins at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at
Cook Park. The 5K Twilight Run will begin at
7 p.m. Runners must register online before
the race. The 5K registration is $35. The Twi-
light Mile is $10, but has a limited number of
slots available. The race is limited to the first
100 registrants.
Visit the festival’s website to register, ti-
gardballoons.org.
Race awards will go to the top three male
and female athletes in the Open and Masters
categories. Age-group winners will be recog-
nized as well.
Proceeds from the race will benefit the
Foundation for Tigard Tualatin Schools.
Returning events
GameTime restaurant returns as the pre-
Get ready for high-flying fun
Festival offers an array of
family-friendly activities
TIMES PHOTO: JAIME VALDEZ
Pilots will showcase their balloons on Friday and Saturday night at dusk during the popular Night Glow in Cook Park. The balloons will light the sky and
transform the park into a colorful wonderland.