Up, up, and away!

The balloons lift out, and the winner of the race is the one who drops a marker closest to the Energizer Bunny...




So the rules of the game haven't changed from previous years. But there's something about the brightly-coloured balloons, and the grand scale of the event, that draws the crowds, and us, back!





The lovely weather must have played a part, too, because the place was crawling with people -- some 100,000, as reported after the event! Those who'd come in time for a piece of the action in the air, and others, clearly staked out there early in the day, with their blankets and lawn chairs, or just sprawled on the grass, with their pooches, too, enjoying many a private picnic, and BBQ even!



The balloons aside, the other thing we fell for were the skydivers, who nearly stole the show with their oh-so-cool landings!




And for a brief moment, Ben and Jon took a break from being allergic to pink and anything remotely related to plush toys, and were quite gleeful donning the Energizer Bunny head-gear! Pretty much like every other spectator did!

But as I always say, for children, and my boys I've noticed, it's not the event per se that puts instant smiles on their faces. Just being able to run around in some nice, open space -- Ben, chasing a balloon tied to his wrist, and trying to get it to soar like the real thing, and Jon doing the same with a paper-thin wooden plane, every chance he got -- generally makes them happy!

And they wouldn't stop, even when it was time to head back home!

Lots more pictures in this Balloon Race set, if you're interested!

It wasn't obvious to us, but the race turned out to be a most unusual one, that the newspapers said pilots would be talking about for years, because the balloons were apparently scattered everywhere, what with the winds being "light and variable". The Energizer Bunny made a surprise drop, just two miles from its takeoff point, right in a playground, much to the delight of children playing there!