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The Great Forest Park Balloon Race is an annual hot air balloon festival held in
.
In 1977, organization of the race passed from Caplan and O'Toole to a group of four novice balloonists who continue to coordinate the event today. These men are John Marlow, John Schaumburg, Ted Staley, and Dan Schettler, who formed a ballooning group known as the Mississippi River Balloon Transit Company. This company now is the host of the largest and most well attended balloon race. On May 23, 2000, the race was honored by the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress as a local legacy after a nomination by then- Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives
On the day before the race, the
. In addition to the Balloon Glow and a fireworks show, during the week of the event, a free public orchestral concert by the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra is held on nearby Art Hill, adjacent to the Saint Louis Art Museum. During the race, the balloonists attempt to "chase" a 166-foot balloon of a pink bunny after taking off from the Central Fields in Forest Park. The goal is to follow the bunny until it lands, and then each pilot drops a sandbag or birdseed bag as close as possible to the bunny balloon. The winner is decided based on which pilots's sandbag, or birdseed bag, is the closest to the bunny. Due to its urban location in the city of St. Louis, the race is considered "particularly prestigious and challenging", and participation is by invitation only. At times, landing sites have included backyards, baseball diamonds, golf courses, street intersections, and the convent grounds of the
Flickr Group: Great Forest Park Balloon Race
{{Coord, 38.63806, -90.28489, format=dms, display=title, type:landmark_region:US-MO Hot air balloon festivals in the United States Culture of St. Louis Tourist attractions in St. Louis Festivals in Missouri Forest Park (St. Louis) 1973 establishments in Missouri Recurring sporting events established in 1973
Forest Park
A forest park is a park whose main theme is its forest of trees. Forest parks are found both in the mountains and in the urban environment.
Examples Chile
* Forest Park, Santiago
China
*Gongqing Forest Park, Shanghai
* Mufushan National Fores ...
in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...
. With more than 70 entrants and 130,000 spectators, it is the most well-attended single-day hot air balloon race in the United States.Great Forest Park Balloon Race: History.
History
The first race was launched by Nikki Caplan and John O'Toole in December 1973 at a gathering of six balloons and twenty spectators.In 1977, organization of the race passed from Caplan and O'Toole to a group of four novice balloonists who continue to coordinate the event today. These men are John Marlow, John Schaumburg, Ted Staley, and Dan Schettler, who formed a ballooning group known as the Mississippi River Balloon Transit Company. This company now is the host of the largest and most well attended balloon race. On May 23, 2000, the race was honored by the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress as a local legacy after a nomination by then- Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives
Dick Gephardt
Richard Andrew Gephardt (; born January 31, 1941) is an American attorney, lobbyist, and politician who served as a United States House of Representatives, United States Representative from Missouri from 1977 to 2005. A member of the Democratic ...
. So now, the Great Forest Park Balloon Race is forever documented through photographs, advertisements, media, and pilot rewards.
No race was held in 2020.
Current status
On the day before the race, the hot air balloons
A hot air balloon is a lighter-than-air aircraft consisting of a bag, called an envelope, which contains heated air. Suspended beneath is a gondola or wicker basket (in some long-distance or high-altitude balloons, a capsule), which carries p ...
participate in the Balloon Glow, a night glow opportunity for spectators to walk among inflated balloons illuminated by their burners.Great Forest Park Balloon Race: Schedule. In addition to the Balloon Glow and a fireworks show, during the week of the event, a free public orchestral concert by the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra is held on nearby Art Hill, adjacent to the Saint Louis Art Museum. During the race, the balloonists attempt to "chase" a 166-foot balloon of a pink bunny after taking off from the Central Fields in Forest Park. The goal is to follow the bunny until it lands, and then each pilot drops a sandbag or birdseed bag as close as possible to the bunny balloon. The winner is decided based on which pilots's sandbag, or birdseed bag, is the closest to the bunny. Due to its urban location in the city of St. Louis, the race is considered "particularly prestigious and challenging", and participation is by invitation only. At times, landing sites have included backyards, baseball diamonds, golf courses, street intersections, and the convent grounds of the
School Sisters of Notre Dame
School Sisters of Notre Dame is a worldwide religious institute of Roman Catholic sisters founded in Bavaria in 1833 and devoted to primary, secondary, and post-secondary education. Their life in mission centers on prayer, community life and mi ...
. The balloon race is accompanied by a festival that includes food and drink, inflatable castles, and a climbing wall.
References
External links
Flickr Group: Great Forest Park Balloon Race
{{Coord, 38.63806, -90.28489, format=dms, display=title, type:landmark_region:US-MO Hot air balloon festivals in the United States Culture of St. Louis Tourist attractions in St. Louis Festivals in Missouri Forest Park (St. Louis) 1973 establishments in Missouri Recurring sporting events established in 1973