That time of year came around again and just recently passed.  It was time for the annual Panguitch City Balloon Festival (balloonfest).  It brings in hot air balloons from all over for a weekend of ballooning, merchants, and other events.  So, I brought out my camera and let my shutter click away with hot air balloons soaring above me.  Here’s a bit about what happened and what I captured.

We had some concerns with this year’s balloonfest.  Thanks to the fire nearby, weather patterns alter.  Interestingly, the alteration brought in thunderstorms to help bring the fire under control.  For that we are very grateful.  Still those thunderstorms put a damper on the number of morning flights available.  In fact, we only had a single launch day on Saturday.  The weather was a bit too dangerous on both other days.

I got out late on Saturday for the balloons.  By the time I walked out the door, half of the balloons were already in the air.  I missed most of the launches.  With that in mind, I still went forward to capture what I could while I could.  There were flying balloons across the landscape to shoot with my camera.  Here’s what I came back with for the launch.

After my short stint with the morning hot air balloons, we prepared for the candle-lighting/glow which is the height of the festivities.  All the balloons came out and took their places on the streets.  I eagerly awaited to learn whether or not we would enjoy the glow for the 3rd year running or if the wind would prevent us from having anything but the candles.  Then I saw it.

I saw that the balloon team in front of me pulled out and placed their ground protection cloth for the balloon.  They don’t pull that out if they don’t plan on inflating their balloon.  I started getting excited.

When the time finally arrived, I walked up and down all the balloons to see if any teams decided to go with the candle instead.  I was delighted to learn that every single balloon went up that night.  It was the best glow yet!  I hadn’t seen 1 where EVERY balloon went up.  Last year’s was great but 3 teams did candles and not the glow.  This year, every single balloon went up.  It felt magical.

However, thanks to failing light conditions and careful timing to catch jets of flame, photos aren’t as easy to come by with the glow.  Still, here’s what I captured from the evening balloonfest festivities withing Panguitch city limits.

One kind balloonier let me get very close and shoot photos while he sent a jet of flame up into his balloon.  He deserves a big “thank you” for that gesture.

This was a very fun and exciting balloonfest in Panguitch even if we didn’t enjoy more than a single morning launch.  I so look forward to next year and seeing what color and pageantry join us in the skies.

So, what do you think about this year’s crop of hot air balloon photos?  Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.