13th Annual Letchworth Balloon RallyMay 24 - May 25, 2014

This upcoming 2014 Memorial Day weekend brings two reasons to visit Letchworth State Park. The beautiful natural scenery and opportunities for hiking is one, and the chance to see up to 30 hot air balloons is the other.

Here are my posts from the 2013 rally: Balloon Festivals, ... Third Time was The Charm and Two Birds with One Stone at Letchworth.

The Balloon Federation lists the event only for Saturday and Sunday, however, Letchworth's event calendar lists Friday - Monday, with the schedule matching last year: Friday at 6:30 PM, Saturday and Sunday at both 6 AM and 6:30 PM, and Monday at 6 AM. Feel free to call their number to confirm.

I'd also like to point out that these are hard to plan events. While six launches are possible the weather is ultimately the driving factor due to safety concerns. Very calm conditions are needed with wind speeds in single digits, the less the better. The Go / No Go is decided about 30 - 60 minutes before the scheduled launch. Last year, only the final scheduled launch on Monday morning ended up working. The other three rides I made to Letchworth I ended up enjoying sunrise, sunset, and the part itself. It's a wonderful place to enjoy, balloons or not, whether you like hiking, photography, or just end up stopping at the many overlooks to soak in what the Genesee River carved out.

Have fun balloon chasing!

References:

Letchworth State Park Event Calendar - HotAirBalloon.Com