Presented by Sevier County and Salina City, the Eyes to the Sky Balloon Festival offers a great opportunity for the general public to experience the fascinating colors and beauty of hot air balloons, allow us to mingle with balloonists, and to learn more about the sport of ballooning.

Balloon launches will be each morning at approximately 6:30 a.m. (weather permitting). All are welcome on our launch field to view the launch or to help the pilots inflate their balloons! Want to learn how to launch a balloon? Then become a crew member volunteer!

The festival offers fun for the whole family! Activities include a breakfast on Saturday with the Aurora Fire Department, as well as inflatable rides for the kids, a barbecue, a concert, and a night-time balloon “glow.”

We extend our thanks to all the pilots and their crew members for coming here to beautiful Central Utah, and to all of our sponsors for helping to make this wonderful event possible!

We have a new launch site and glow and concert site this year, here in Salina, Utah, along Interstate 70.

Below is a picture of the new launch site.

To get to the new site, head west out of Salina, Utah for one mile (just past the river bridge) and turn North at 1500 West. Go four fields, and you are there. It is the dark grassy one in the image (click for a larger image).

The Glow Site and Concert Site is going to be on 100 West 100 North in Salina. We are closing off 100 West and putting the balloons up right in the middle of the street. That puts them in front of the Swimming Pool, Fire House, and going North, in front of the Middle School. We will also close off the Middle School Parking Lot and have a few balloons do the glow there.

The Concert will be in the parking lot/grassy area of the Middle School. The concert will feature “Jagertown,” a great new country rock band. The concert is free. Check out Jagertown on MySpace and on Facebook.

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AmeriGas, American Family Insurance, Barney Trucking, Barretts Foodtown, Burns Saddlery, Canyon Fuel, DP Curtis Trucking, Holly’s Pantry, IFA Country Store, Mason Farms, Mason Machinery, Mid Utah Radio, The Parts House, Richfield Coca Cola, The Richfield Reaper, Robinson Transport, Salina City, The Salina Sun, Les Scott Family, Sevier County, Super 8, Thurel Mason Trucking, and White’s Sanitation.

We welcome your company’s interest in sponsoring balloons for the 2010 Eyes to the Sky Balloon Festival.

Our 2010 schedule is as follows:

FRIDAY June 18, 2010



• 6:30 AM Balloon Launch





• 7:00 PM Benefit Concert for Deputy Franco Aguilar with Charley Jenkins in Elsinore at the Heritage Days Festival




SATURDAY June 19, 2010




• 6:30 AM Balloon Launch & Aurora Fire Dept. Breakfast





• 7:00 – 10:00 AM Aurora Fire Department Breakfast at Launch Site





• 10:00 A.M. Motorcycle Poker Run
  
  New this year is a “poker run!” Motorcyclists will meet at Holly’s Pantry parking lot at 10:00 a.m. from there they will travel up Salina Canyon, over Hogan’s Pass, into Fishlake, and back down to Salina for dinner. They will travel about 100 miles.





• All Day Salina Chamber Business Spotlight
  
  The Salina Chamber will sponsor a ‘Business Spotlight’ where people take a card to local businesses and get a sticker. When the card is full they will put the card in for a drawing (held at the concert).





• 12:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M. Craft Vendors
  
  Lots of fun craft vendors will be set up in the parking lot of City Hall. Party Central will also be there with some fun blow-ups for the kids to play on, and later in the evening will be a FREE Swim!





• 3:00 P.M. Salina Lions Bingo Tournament
  
  Salina Lions Club will host a Bingo Tournament starting at 3:00 p.m. at the Firehouse. Lots of fun prizes. Participants can buy a bingo card for $3 each.





• 7:00-10:00 PM Free Swim





• 7:00 PM FREE Concert with Jagertown
  
  
  
  See Jagertown on MySpace and on Facebook.





• 6:00 P.M. Salina Firemen Barbecue





• 9:30 PM Balloon Glow





• Saturday Evening activites will be held in downtown Salina at 100 West and 100-300 North




SUNDAY June 20, 2010




• 6:30 AM Balloon Launch

The Eyes to the Sky event and the participating balloon pilots invite you to enjoy a unique, fun as well as an up close and personal experience with hot air ballooning as a crew member.

Get close to the gentle giants of the sky and join a balloon crew! Work with pilots from around the country to experience the thrill and excitement ballooning up close and personal.

Many of the pilots who are attending the 2010 Eyes to the Sky Balloon Festival will need help from local crew members to assist in launching, chasing and packing up. The balloons are here to race, compete and help put on a spectacular show for everyone.

Here’s what a Hot Air Balloon Crew does:

• Helps set up, inflate and launch the balloon. Don’t worry the pilot is there to help and instruct along the way.
• Assists in chasing the balloon in a chase vehicle. It’s most helpful for the pilot to have some one be familiar with the area to guide them to landing areas.
• Helps deflate and pack up the balloon. Some lifting is required.
• Answers questions from onlookers. People love to watch hot air balloons, and the Eyes to the Sky Festival draws a great crowd. You may find yourself being asked a question or two, so please be friendly and share your experience with others.
• Works as a team. As a crew member, you will be a part of a team assigned to a specific balloon.
• Enjoys making new friends. Many pilots have long term friendships with crews that they enjoy renewing year after year. Who knows you may even get a ride in a balloon for being a member of the crew.

Who can participate?

Everyone is invited to get involved. There are some activities that will require lifting but as those that participated last year team work is the key and young and old are all welcome. It is a great activity for the whole family.

As each pilot needs about 3 people for their balloon, so joining a balloon crew makes for a great adventure with groups of family or friends.

What to wear?

On the chill and some times cold mornings we have in Salina, layers of clothing work best. Long pants and sturdy shoes will help should the pilot land in a remote location.

Of special importance is a good pair of gloves, preferably leather or with leather palms. Much of the crew work involves working with ropes and handling warm or hot equipment.

Some “don’t wears” include:

• Nylon or any other materials that can generate static electricity or sparks;
• Dangling clothing, jewelry or accessories that can get snagged on the basket or equipment;
• Sandals or flip-flops.

How to Volunteer?

Call Paula Martin to sign up to be a crew member at 893-0458 or email at pmartin.seviercounty@hotmail.com.