Bristol International Balloon Fiesta
The Bristol International Balloon Fiesta is held annually in a park on the outskirts of Bristol. Teams from the UK and other parts of the world bring their hot air balloons to the site and participate in mass ascents where as many as 100 balloons may launch at a time.
The event was first held in 1979 and is now one of the largest in Europe.
Over the years the festival has become increasingly well-known and popular. It is now common to have crowds of over 100,000 on each of the four days of the festival. Aside from the mass launches, visitors can enjoy the sight of tethered balloons, a fairground, stalls, arena shows, and eateries, as well of the pleasant grounds of Ashton Court, a large country estate within the city of Bristol.
Mass launches are made twice a day, at 6am and 6pm, subject to weather conditions.
One popular attraction is the night glow, when balloons are inflated and glow to music after dark. These are held on two evenings of the Fiesta, followed by a fireworks display.
The balloon makers Cameron Balloons are near to the fiesta site, in Bedminster, and make many of the special shaped balloons, which have included Rupert the Bear, The Scottish Piper, Bertie Bassett, the Tesco Trolley, Stuart the Minion, and the BBC One Balloon. Many shapes have also attended the fiesta from abroad. Over the years a UFO and a beaver have travelled from the US, a kiwi bird from New Zealand, and an upside down balloon from the Netherlands.
In the past, the fiesta used to be held in the second week of September, but due to cancellations of flights and the muddy ground because of bad weather, it has been moved in the start of August. This has had a great effect as more flights manage to fly; cancellations are now normally due to high winds.
In 2003, the weight of crowds returning from the Balloon Fiesta put such a great strain on the Clifton Suspension Bridge that it was decided to close the bridge to all traffic, including pedestrians, during the event from 2004 onwards.
In recent years, the event has diversified to include small scale air displays, attracting the likes of The Blades, Typhoon display team and the Red Arrows.
Image from www.fionahoran.com.
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