A few tips from a lifetime of balloon rallying
By Andrew Harris, 2024 artwork by Tracy Hetzel,
Western New York in the summer is perfect for hot air ballooning. Warm days, cool nights make for some amazing moments at the Great Wellsville Balloon Rally.
Luckily for me, the “rally” and I are the same age! My entire life has been filled with summers of this magic. The sight and sound of dozens of massive, colorful balloons in the air, floating down a river valley is a modern marvel. When you consider the backdrop of the Genesee River, often foggy at sunrise and glowing at sunset, Wellsville is the perfect place for a balloon rally.
Since I’m “as old as the balloon rally,” Allow me to share a few tips:
– Don’t miss the Main Street Balloon Rally Festival on Saturday July 20. One walk up and down Main Street and will bring nostalgia to the eyes, ears, and nose. If you are from the Wellsville area, be ready to meet an old classmate or teacher or friend. They have live music, tons of street food, and some of the best vendors in the area.
– Watch the weather closely. Balloons are only safe under a certain set of conditions. Wind, rain, potential storms all play a role in whether they wil launch or not. Follow the Great Wellsville Balloon Rally on Facebook for updates on the latest. If the weather spoils the launch Wellsville has lots to do. Check out the amazing David A. Howe Library, great a Texas Hot, visit the Fassett Greenspace, or see what is on tap at the Wellsville Brewing Company.
– Go to the hills!!! Some of the best moments in my life of balloon rallying have been taking a guess at where the balloons are heading and finding a prime location. Watching the balloons land in farm fields and backyards is a pretty impressive sight. The chase crew trucks are a good indicator of where to get a great look at a landing or just balloons flying overhead. Keep a safe distance from the landing zone as it takes experienced pilots and crew members to make a safe landing. Watching them deflate and pack up the balloon is also fun to watch.
– Enjoy the “Afterglow!” Certainly one of the coolest things about the rally is the night time festivities. Island Park “Lagoon” side comes alive with a carnival atmosphere with the classic corndogs-cotton candy-funnel cake smell that can even bring an old coot like me back to 1986. But the real highlight is the balloon show, called the “Afterglow” for a good reason. When you fire up a hot air balloon at night (tethered to the ground of course,) the glow is surreal. Massive balloons, many every color of the rainbow, firing up at night is sight worthy of a visit to Wellsville alone.
The volunteers that make this rally happen are another special sort of magic. Organizing a small-town rally that sometimes brings tens of thousands of visitors is a year-round job. As volunteerism seems to be fading from our core values, this rally is always shorthanded. Brad and Deb Thompson have been cornerstones of this event for many years as have other volunteers. Please thank the rally team if you see them, perhaps even offer to join them in producing the 48th rally.
*This column originally appeared in our weekly newsletter on Sunday, if you haven’t subscribed to the Sunday Sun please do! It is free and we do not share our mailing list!
In case you missed this great balloon rally story in 2022!!
