About
Hot air balloons will fill the skies over Steuben County in July, but Angola Balloons Aloft will look a lot different than previous years.
“We will not be having any activities at Angola High School,” said event director Tim Crooks. “We have eliminated the kids fun zone, food court, educational displays, characters, tractor displays, vendors, helicopter rides and Meet the Fleet. Many will ask why we did this. We felt we could not provide the proper items needed to keep our visitors safe, such as cleaning the restrooms after each use, water for hand washing, safe social distancing and proper disposal of trash. We would also need to sanitize all of the fun zone activities.
“This free, family event has always been funded by the very generous sponsors within our community,” Crooks said. “We partner with many not-for-profits and other members of the community to make this happen. This takes hundreds of hours of planning and more than 400 volunteers who dedicate themselves to the event. After everyone’s lives changed in March due to the pandemic, we began planning how we could put on an event that would lift the community’s spirits and keep everyone safe. We are still working out many details.”
The balloons will start their weekend competition Friday evening, July 10. Typically, approximately 35 balloons participate, but this year, 17 competition and three special shape balloons will participate. “Balloons will fill the skies Friday night, Saturday morning and evening plus Sunday morning,” Crooks said. “This is all wind and weather permitting. Our competition director is working hard to find different launch areas and targets in and around the Angola area so people will be able to see the balloons from their homes or other safe areas.”
The popular balloon illumination is tentatively set for Friday night at approximately 9:15 p.m. at the high school. “We’re still working out the details,” Crooks said. “People will need to stay in their cars to view the illuminations. A few balloons might glow at another location in Angola, allowing for people to safely park and view them.”
The balloons will also fly Saturday morning and evening, July 11, as well as Sunday morning, July 12.
The classic car cruise, normally held at the high school, will take to the roads as part of Angola Balloons Aloft. On Saturday, July 11, participants will cruise through the county, stopping briefly at various surrounding areas for people to view the cars from a safe distance.
