Atlantic Balloon Fiesta marks its 36th year

On the 36th annual Atlantic Balloon Fiesta weekend, weather forecasts have thrown a wrench into some of the plans.

“We started the first of the week and we were rained out until last night,” said president, Debbie Harris.

“Last night we had over 80 passengers up in the balloons. We did have a couple that had to back out as far as the pilots were concerned because of the weather that was happening in the states.”

While it may be a difficult attraction to plan for the weather, but it’s a weekend that draws in numbers from across the Maritimes and beyond.

“What we do is the pilots brief in the morning at 6:00 and we have a meteorologist on site, we have a balloon mister who is basically the boss of the pilots, decides if it’s safe to go,” explained Harris.

Last year over 80,000 people attended. This year, Harris is expecting slightly less, around 50,000, due to the weather forecast.

However, the predictions haven’t dampened people’s optimism. By Friday, every flight for the weekend was full with waitlists, and cancellation lists also several pages long.

“Last night we had somebody that drove in from Quebec just to get on a hot air balloon. We ad people this morning that came, they’re touring New Brunswick, they are from Alberta. We have them come all the time from Nova Scotia, P.E.I., you name it,” she said.

While not everyone will have the chance to take flight, the weekend is also a show of community.

When the Fiesta first started, Harris says it was only 10 hot air balloons. It has now grown into something much bigger.

The weekend festivities feature family activities, food and craft vendors and this year a building sized mural that points to the Every Child Matters campaign.

The mural at the Atlantic Balloon Fiesta for the Every Child Matters campaign. (CTV/Alana Pickrell)

“The fact that it will be visible from the air is an important piece of it,” explained Bonny Hill, a retired art teacher who know works with students on public art projects.

“The posting on the wall is actually part of a global art project started by a French artist JR, who won the TED prize a number of years ago and started this, he’s calling it the peoples art project ‘can art change to world,’” she said.

The display at the Atlantic Balloon Fiesta is Phase 2 of a project that was done last May and features 100 huge portraits of local supports of the Every Child Matters movement.

“I definitely want them to take photographs, share them, share our video online because we’re coming up to September 30, which is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation,” said Hill.

The Balloon Fiesta has events all day Saturday and throughout most of the day on Sunday.

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