A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
Balloon Blastoffs
Seated in the basket of the Sweetly Kismet hot air balloon, volunteer crew member Seth Bloomquist, left, and student hot air balloon pilot Abreanah Parrott, right, talk with a balloon enthusiast during Saturday's balloon festival at the Sweetly Kismet Candy Store in Carlton.
At right, balloons do a slow motion dance as the balloon on the right joins the party Saturday.
Tucked behind pine trees off Interstate 35 in Carlton, the Sweetly Kismet Candy Store turned its grounds into a hot air balloon festival Friday and Saturday evenings. It was the third year for the balloon festival, and the third location.
Sweetly Kismet co-owner and balloon pilot Jon Parrott said this year's festival maxed out at six balloons Friday, with five on Saturday. Parrott said holding the festival at the candy store property worked well.
"We really enjoyed it and I think the public was happy," he said. "The weather didn't cooperate as much as forecasted, so it took a little longer to get the balloons up Saturday. That's just the name of the game when you're dealing with hot air balloons."
Parrott said they plan to continue holding the balloon festival the second weekend after Labor Day each year, starting each day in late afternoon when the winds die down enough for the balloons.
