At festival, balloons will glow and soar

Activities include a lighted ballon parade tonight, plus opportunities to hitch a ride in one of the floating baskets.

By EVE LEBERSON

© St. Petersburg Times, published June 9, 2000

LUTZ -- A dazzling array of brilliantly colored hot air balloons will adorn the sky above Lake Park this weekend for the Carrollwood Balloon Fest.

Activities will begin at 5 p.m. today with live music, amusement rides and a food festival. The highlight of the evening will begin at dusk when the balloons inflate for the annual balloon glow.

Park gates will open at 5:30 a.m. Saturday. Activities include a pancake breakfast, amusement rides, climbing wall, petting zoo, pony rides, live music and tethered balloon flights where park guests can soar almost 50 feet into the sky. Balloon competitions will take off at 6:30 a.m. Individuals can make reservations to be on board one of the 30 competing balloons for $175 per person.

Lake Park is at 17302 Dale Mabry Highway. Admission to the event is a $2 donation, which will go toward scholarships for area high schools. Limited parking will be allowed in the park, but free shuttle services to the festival will be available for off-site parking at HARTline Park-n-Ride, Seminole Electric and Hollywood Theaters. Shuttle services will run from 4:30 to 11 p.m. Friday and 4:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

For information or for balloon ride reservations, call the Big Red Balloon at (813) 969-1518.

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.