Balloon Festival on Aug. 10 weekend

[mirrodie]

http://www.metronyballoonfest.com/

On August 10, 11 and 12, there is some festival out on Long Island in Brookhaven, at Calabro Airport.

Seems like a first time affair billing itself as music and balloons, fireworks and BMX biking.
I was looking at the site. Looks like balloon rides are $215 ( I assume per person)

I'm not sure if we'll take a peek. Wondering what anyone else knows about this?

And is anyone else going?

[moose135]

From what I've heard, should be a pretty good event. If you go, look for discount coupons in my favorite newspaper next week :wink:

[mirrodie]

Well anyone want to make the trip out together?

[eric8669]

As of right now I am going.


Eric

[GrummanFan]

Mike Mancuso is also performing a few times a day. Balloons go up in the early morning and in the evening, and I want to get out there early and take a pic of them in the sunrise. What day is best for people? I still need to get my work schedule for next week.

[emshighway]

I'll probably will be going the 12th

[mirrodie]

We definitely can't go on the Sunday. but might head out for Saturday evening.


Heard an ad for it on the radio yesterday. Sounds like its really being billed as a rcok concert.


But viewing the website is interesting. Seems like a Farmer's fair, with tons of different activities.

[SCOTYDEMCO]

Mike Mancuso isn't going to be doing the show at all.

I was toying with the idea of going out on Sunday but I have a feeling it is going to be CRAZY crowded. I have seen signs and advertisments for it all over the place.

[GrummanFan]

Mike Mancuso isn't going to be doing the show at all.

He was in the schedule on their site when I first found out about the event in the beginning of July. Ah well.

I'm thinking of catching the balloon ascensions on Saturday morning, then I'll hang around for a while and leave sometime in the afternoon.

[mirrodie]

Looking to be packed. AS Scotty said.

Commercials on New12 LI show it as a beatnik sort of Woodstock Concert. with Pat Benatar :?

[SCOTYDEMCO]

I may try to head out early Sunday to catch the balloons first thing, then bounce after.

[GrummanFan]

Well, I will be there bright and early Saturday morning, 6:30am, to catch the balloons from various vantage points outside the airport, then will hang around inside the event until sometime in the afternoon. If anyone else will be there, send me a PM.

[nikon50bigma]

I'm going to try to go there.

[GrummanFan]

What a bust. Got there at 6am, and the balloon flights were canceled due to unsafe wind speeds. They wanted 10 bucks for parking, then 25 dollar general admission, but I found ways around them :wink: The best shots I got out of the day were these...

http://dfalk.smugmug.com/photos/183034020-M.jpg

http://dfalk.smugmug.com/photos/183033957-M.jpg

[mirrodie]

Well we went nearby last night.

We were at a graduation party on a neighborhood street which runs due east of the intersection of those runways at CAlabro. WE could clearly hear the music from the backyard.

Didn't see a single balloon last night when they usually float right over their house. Was it also cancelled last night?

[emshighway]

Guess we had a better time but I agree it isn't worth $25 (we got there at 5:30 AM so we didn't get charged $10 for parking). They set up viewing into the sun and I got a hold of one of the Staff Managers and suggested a photographers pass with an area for better shooting. They advised they plan on doing that next year. By 9:00 Am nothing was open and not many of the balloons were taking off so we left.

Here are a few of my shots.

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/emshighway/BalloonFest/Balloon10.jpg
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/emshighway/BalloonFest/Balloon9.jpg
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/emshighway/BalloonFest/Balloon8.jpg
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/emshighway/BalloonFest/Balloon7.jpg
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/emshighway/BalloonFest/Balloon6.jpg
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/emshighway/BalloonFest/Balloon5.jpg
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/emshighway/BalloonFest/Balloon4.jpg
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/emshighway/BalloonFest/Balloon3.jpg
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/emshighway/BalloonFest/Balloon2.jpg
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/emshighway/BalloonFest/Balloon1.jpg

[AirtrafficController]

I love those ballon shots!

[T-Bird76]

EMS great pics there! I really wish I was home this weekend to go that! I've always wanted to go to a balloon festival.

[Art at ISP]

My wife wanted to see the balloons this afternoon. We drove all the way out there for the 5PM portion of the ballooning experience, and there was not one single balloon. What a total bust. She was sooo disappointed.

I had pulled into the north lot where they were sending busses down, and I refused to pay the $10 just asked for a way out.

If anyone hangs there, the 1947 red and silver Navion belongs to my wife's cousin, and I can fly it any time I want (not sure I want to though--it's old).

It would have been nice.

[mirrodie]

EMS, did you go SUnday AM? I though Grumman fan said they didnt go up that morning?

Can anyone confirm if it was cancelled Sat night?

[GrummanFan]

I was there Saturday morning, I have no idea what happened in the evening, though there was a steady wind throughout the day. I was hanging out outside the airport, hoping to get a shot with all of the balloons in the air at the same time, and some sunrise-backlit stuff as well. Wish I went on Sunday then, nice shots. I'm sure a photographers pass would cost another 30 bucks though :wink:

[emshighway]

Talking to some of the Balloonist they said the winds were bad on Saturday so they didn't do much. Sunday AM was great weather, no wind. There were a few balloons that inflated on the other side of the airport then came over but once down they deflated, packed up and left. Don't know how the rest of the day went on Sunday because everything else was closed until the afternoon but it wasn't worth the money.