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The feeling is akin to, if there were such things,a magic carpet ride.

Floating through the air above the treetops, inthe quiet of the morning or as the sun sets atdusk, a hot air balloon ride is unlike anythingelse you can experience short of growing wingsand soaring through the heavenslike a bird.

A few of us will get to experi-ence such feelings during theMid-Atlantic Balloon Festival,Friday through Sunday at Mead-ow Event Park in Caroline County.

While hot air balloon festivalsare popular all over the country,this will be central Virginia’s firstlarge-scale festival in more thantwo decades.

Henry Rosenbaum, HenricoCounty’s fire marshal and a Fed-eral Aviation Administration-licensed commercial pilot whoowns a balloon and offers ridesduring festivals and events allaround the country, said two ofthe largest festivals he recallshappened in 1986 and 1987 atRichmond International Airport.

Between 50 and 70 balloonsparticipated during each of thoseyears, and it’s there, he said, that he caught theballooning bug.

“I took a ride, got hooked on it and bought aballoon,” he said, joking that his first balloon ride— at $300 — “was cheap (but) my second bal-loon ride cost me $15,000.”

Rosenbaum is one of about 20 licensed pilotsfrom Florida to New Jersey who will offer balloonrides this weekend to a limited number of luckyfolks.

Rides, weather-permitting, occur at either 6a.m. or 6 p.m. throughout the weekend, startingFriday night. If you happen to miss a chance totake an actual ride, tethered rides that go upabout 30 feet will be offered throughout the daybetween 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

When they’re not flying, the pilots will beavailable for meet-and-greet sessions with thepublic, and their balloons and equipment will beon display.

Rosenbaum said the question he gets mostfrequently is: What does it feel like?

Simply put, “a magic carpet,” he said. “Whenyou’re in the air, you’re floating with no motor,or engine, (and) you’re literally floating with thewind.”

And you can’t beat the 360-degree view. “It’sa neat way to see the countryside,” he said.

Those who want to enjoy the festival withboth feet on the ground can listen to music,peruse food and craft vendors, and partake inwine and craft beer tastings.

Event coordinator Denise Bird said she hasbeen working to bring a balloon event to thearea for some time. The challenge, she said,

has been finding a venue thatcould accommodate 20 hot airballoons.

Bird recently became the mar-keting director for Richmond Me-dia Group, which includes theRichmond Times-Dispatch. Shehelped coordinate the festival priorto taking her new position.

“Meadow Event Park is the per-fect spot,” she said, adding that theevent was designed to continue asan annual Mother’s Day event andpotentially grow to include morethan 20 balloon teams.

“It is majestic to see one hot airballoon, but when you see 20 ofthem grouped together,” Bird said,“it’s truly breathtaking.”

Rosenbaum agreed.In fact, one of the neatest mo-

ments is what balloonists call the“balloon glow,” when darkness fallsand the pilots inflate their tethered

balloons, which glow from the inside out.Attendees can witness that on Friday and Sat-

urday evenings between 8 and 9 p.m.“It really is one of the most spectacular things

to see,” Rosenbaum said. In the darkness, “itlooks like this huge light bulb has lit up.”

hprestidge@timesdispatch.com(804) 649-6945

BY HOLLY PRESTIDGERichmond Times-Dispatch

Brian Hoyle and his balloonwill be part of the Mid-Atlan-tic Balloon Festival.

DENISE BIRD

During a festival, colorful hot air balloons from across the nation inflate in preparation fortethered flights as well as free flights over the countryside.

Balloon enthusiasts gatherin Caroline County to enjoy days

of quiet floating over countryside

User: pwhelan Time: 05-07-2014 20:51 Product: RIC_RTDTab PubDate: 05-08-2014 Edition: 1 Page: TDWEEK08