BILLINGS — The Big Sky Balloon Rally is underway in Billings through July 28.
The Big Sky Balloon Rally gets bigger and bigger each year, and event organizers want you to know it’s free to the public and there’s a lot of beauty and fun to soak in, including a few new balloon shapes like a baby T-rex.
The rally brings pilots and spectators alike from all around the world to the magic city, but if you live in Billings, all you have to do is look to the sky to see a little bit of magic.
“Our flights over Billings are at 6:00 a.m., and if you can't make it out to the field, just look up into the sky from your backyard,” says Chris Jones, Big Sky Balloon Rally President.
Balloons are set to launch from Amend Park on Thursday through Sunday and most tend to drift east toward Huntley, landing each day right around 8 a.m. Thursday’s 6 a.m. ascension was canceled due to extreme heat and incoming storms. Q2 meteorologist and official balloon rally meteorologist Ed McIntosh issued a red flag, grounding all balloons.
“We started in 2015 with just three or four different balloons and in the middle of a field with no spectators and no assistance, and we've grown it now to a 25-balloon event,” says Jones.
All of the balloons need volunteers, so if you’re looking for a new, up-close way to experience this long-running event, this is it. Just show up at the Amend Park pavilion at 5:45 a.m. for your assignment. Volunteer work is recommended for ages 15 and up.
“We as pilots, we're just one person. We need at least three per balloon. It's nice to have four, maybe five per balloon to fly because you need some people to chase in the chase truck,” says Jamie Kinghorn, Eye of Ra Balloon Pilot.
As for the pilots, they come from all across the United States and Canada. Kinghorn is from the Calgary area and has been participating in this balloon rally for years. In fact, he even has his own rally he hosts each September since 2013 in High River.“I fly the Eye of Ra hot air balloon. It'll be the purple and yellow one that you'll be seeing flying across the city tomorrow,” says Kinghorn.
You can spot his Egyptian-themed balloon pretty easily, and he even has small gifts for kids who come say hi and listen to a little hot air, or, ballooning history.“We encourage you to come out in the mornings for our flights and just see the beautiful spectacle of hot air balloons going over Billings, Montana, and then also our famous balloon glow, which is this Saturday night at Amend Park,” says Jones.
The glow is a sight to see starting at 6:00 p.m. with twinkling balloons. An event to remember whether you see the balloons up above in the morning or down below at night. In addition to the balloon glow Saturday night from 6:00 p.m. to well after dark, there is a live band, food trucks and games for kids. The event is free to the public.
