Around 20 hot air balloons will lift off from Innes Common tomorrow. Photo / Danielle Zollickhofer
Around 20 hot air balloons will lift off from Innes Common tomorrow. Photo / Danielle Zollickhofer
Balloons over Waikato is ready for lift-off in Hamilton on Tuesday morning.
The event will celebrate its 25-year anniversary this year, with all the fan favourites like the Basket Burn, Balloons visit Waipa, the Walk Thru Balloon and of course the morning fly-offs.
From March 19 to 23, about 20 hot air balloons would take to the sky above Hamilton every morning, from 7am at Innes Common, Hamilton Lake.
People can see the balloons up close, as they inflate and lift off, and there would be other activities to do in the morning.
At the Hamilton City Council Opening Fiesta on Tuesday, there will be a chance to win spot prizes, including tickets to Hamilton Zoo, Waterworld or Excite at Waikato Museum.
At Wednesday’s Grassroots Trust Lift Off and Friday’s First Credit Union Fun Friday, there were also plenty of opportunities to win prizes and take part in games.
Early birds coming to Thursday’s WEL Energy Trust Muffins in the Morning would receive a complimentary morning muffin and fruit.
And at the Radius CareCash Grab on Saturday morning, pilots would attempt to win $1000 cash from the top of a pole.
While Innes Common is where the action kicks off every morning, the Balloons would also pop up in other locations over the week.
The Love the Centre Walk Thru Balloon would be at Garden Place on Thursday from 4pm to 7pm.
Waikato Sunrise Rotary would be running the attraction where people can walk inside a real hot air balloon for a gold coin donation going to True Colours Childrens Health Trust.
Balloons over Waikato celebrates its 25th anniversary. Photo / Danielle Zollickhofer
On Friday evening, punters would be spoilt for choice with two events.
The Base Basket Burn kicks off at Te Awa The Base shopping centre in Te Rapa from 6pm where pilots will fire up their burners to live music.
Another group of balloons will go to the Mighty River Domain at Lake Karapiro for the Balloons visit Waipa event from 5pm to 8pm.
Meanwhile, all 30,000 free tickets to the grand finale, the Zuru Nightglow have been allocated.
Free ticket holders can arrive at Claudelands Oval from 4pm to enjoy the live entertainment, carnival rides, food trucks and the orchestrated hot air balloon glow culminating in the SkyCity Hamilton Fireworks Extravaganza.
The event is overseen by a trust and the Board of Trustees has now started the search for a new delivery partner of the event. No new organiser has been announced yet.
