Ballunar Liftoff Festival

NASA hosts 100-plus hot air balloons

Comments (0) By Nicholas L. Hall Thursday, Nov 1 2007

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For three days, the skies over NASA’s Johnson Space Center will be filled with more than 100 fantastical flying contraptions during the Ballunar Liftoff Festival. Visitors will take in balloon demonstrations and competitions, mass glows (where balloons illuminate the night like giant Chinese lanterns), group sky dives (16 divers will free-fall in formation) and hang-gliders. There’s a full schedule of live music performers, including Tejano singer Stephanie Galindo and Brunette Sky. Friday evening brings a Halloween Balloon Bash for kids. And for those whose aeronautical appetites extend beyond our atmosphere, the festival also offers a behind-the-scenes mini-tour of Johnson Space Center, including the Apollo mission control center, as well as an autograph-signing session with NASA astronauts (hopefully, none of them will be wearing diapers or packing knives). 6:30 a.m. to noon today, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, and 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday. 1601 NASA Parkway. For information, call 281-488-7676 or visit www.ballunarfestival.com. $10 per vehicle.
Fri., Nov. 2, 6-10 p.m.; Sat., Nov. 3, 6:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sun., Nov. 4, 6:30 a.m.-noon, 2007