With just under 35,000 attendees over the past weekend, organizers say this year’s New York State Festival of Balloons had crowds not seen in years.
In the last four years, the festival saw a slight downturn in attendance, mostly due to poor weather conditions.
But this year’s sunny and mild conditions, plus continued festival promotion, was no doubt a factor to this year's successful turnout.
Mother Nature allowed four launches out of the six scheduled as more than 40 balloonists participated. Friday night and Monday morning launches were cancelled due to weather conditions. But it’s the variability in atmospheric conditions that attracts balloonist to the annual event in Dansville.
“Dansville is a lot of fun that way,” Jim Williams of Port Crane said Friday night as he sat in a basket and demonstrated equipment used in hot air balloons despite the launch cancellation.
Williams, a 42-year balloon pilot, explained that the layers of wind moving different directions and at different speeds makes it possible to navigate in a hot air balloon.
“That’s what 90 percent of flying is all about,” he said.
Williams has been to nearly every balloon festivals in Dansville. He said the only festivals he missed were when conflicting events kept him from making his way to Dansville.
Now in its 31st year, the New York State Festival of Balloons has many faces like Williams appearing year after year.
Festival President Dorothy Hotchkiss has been volunteering her time at the festival for more than 20 years.
“Overall, I think it was a great event,”?NYSFOB?president Dorothy Hotchkiss said. “It’s always rewarding when you see pilots participating, passengers riding and families enjoying the festival.”
Hotchkiss said on the festival's opening night that she was hopeful weather would cooperate, as it’s the weather that’s to blame for two years plagued with canceled events and lower turnout.
“The festival has not been able to do financially what we want it to,” Hotchkiss said. Because of the lower attendance numbers, the organizing committee has not been able to contribute to the non-profit causes and groups it has in the past. She indicated that event organizers will probably be looking for community or corporate sponsors.
“Hot air balloons are the focus — to see them go up, how they’re inflated to see them fly and of course to have the thrill of the hot air balloon ride really is the ultimate excitement,” she said. “And the entertainment. We have musical entertainment all afternoon plus we have unique arts and craft vendors and some great food.”
Livingston County Tourism was on site to film a promotional video of the festival for the tourism council's website, fingerlakeswest.com and its social media outlets.
“This, I would consider the quintessential Americana festival,” tourism director Lisa Burns said. “This is a family-oriented, wonderful way to spend the day.”
The annual meeting for the not-for-profit festival is scheduled for November, whereby the slate of officers for the 2013 festival will be elected.
Contact Jeff Miller at jeffmiller@dansvilleonline.com or call 585-335-2271. Les Bowen contributed to this article.
With just under 35,000 attendees over the past weekend, organizers say this year’s New York State Festival of Balloons had crowds not seen in years.
In the last four years, the festival saw a slight downturn in attendance, mostly due to poor weather conditions.
But this year’s sunny and mild conditions, plus continued festival promotion, was no doubt a factor to this year's successful turnout.
Mother Nature allowed four launches out of the six scheduled as more than 40 balloonists participated. Friday night and Monday morning launches were cancelled due to weather conditions. But it’s the variability in atmospheric conditions that attracts balloonist to the annual event in Dansville.
“Dansville is a lot of fun that way,” Jim Williams of Port Crane said Friday night as he sat in a basket and demonstrated equipment used in hot air balloons despite the launch cancellation.
Williams, a 42-year balloon pilot, explained that the layers of wind moving different directions and at different speeds makes it possible to navigate in a hot air balloon.
“That’s what 90 percent of flying is all about,” he said.
Williams has been to nearly every balloon festivals in Dansville. He said the only festivals he missed were when conflicting events kept him from making his way to Dansville.
Now in its 31st year, the New York State Festival of Balloons has many faces like Williams appearing year after year.
Festival President Dorothy Hotchkiss has been volunteering her time at the festival for more than 20 years.
“Overall, I think it was a great event,”?NYSFOB?president Dorothy Hotchkiss said. “It’s always rewarding when you see pilots participating, passengers riding and families enjoying the festival.”
Hotchkiss said on the festival's opening night that she was hopeful weather would cooperate, as it’s the weather that’s to blame for two years plagued with canceled events and lower turnout.
“The festival has not been able to do financially what we want it to,” Hotchkiss said. Because of the lower attendance numbers, the organizing committee has not been able to contribute to the non-profit causes and groups it has in the past. She indicated that event organizers will probably be looking for community or corporate sponsors.
“Hot air balloons are the focus — to see them go up, how they’re inflated to see them fly and of course to have the thrill of the hot air balloon ride really is the ultimate excitement,” she said. “And the entertainment. We have musical entertainment all afternoon plus we have unique arts and craft vendors and some great food.”
Livingston County Tourism was on site to film a promotional video of the festival for the tourism council's website, fingerlakeswest.com and its social media outlets.
“This, I would consider the quintessential Americana festival,” tourism director Lisa Burns said. “This is a family-oriented, wonderful way to spend the day.”
The annual meeting for the not-for-profit festival is scheduled for November, whereby the slate of officers for the 2013 festival will be elected.
Contact Jeff Miller at jeffmiller@dansvilleonline.com or call 585-335-2271. Les Bowen contributed to this article.
