Second Annual Celebration of Flight and Balloon Festival Getting Closer
Mothers Day Weekend will be most colorful as twenty beautiful hot air balloons paint the skies of Panola County for the Second Annual “Celebration of Flight and Balloon Festival” at the Panola County Airport. Beginning on Friday May 12, at 5 p.m., Sharpe Field will play host to this spectacular event. Throughout the weekend, hot air balloons, air planes, live music, nightly hangar dances, a car and tractor show, and machines of all kinds will thrill the young and the young at heart! Tickets are $5 per day with children 6 and under being admitted free with adult ticket purchase. Weekend passes are only $10! Tickets are currently on sale at the Panola County Chamber of Commerce and Bobbie’s Health Foods in Carthage. Proceeds from the event will be used to fund scholarships at Panola College.
“Last year thousands of people attended the festival with some traveling from as far away as Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Houston to attend,” said Shelley Caraway, Event Organizer. “Based on the number of phone calls and questions I have received so far, this year’s festival is promising to be even more popular.
“The Balloon Festival began as a memorial to the memory of two men, Brent Gee and Mark Schultz. Both were avid pilots who loved to share their joy of flight with everyone they encountered,” said Caraway. “My brother, Brent, was the Police Chief at Panola College for years and Mark also had ties to the College. They knew what a difference the College made in the lives of so many in our community, and I think they would be proud to be part of this event.” Caraway went on to say that last year’s event raised $8000 for various scholarship endeavors at Panola College, and that pictures and information about last year’s event are available on the Celebration of Flight and Balloon Festival’s official web site at www.carthagetexas.com/balloonfest .
The weekend activities will begin on Friday, May 12, at 5 p.m. with a live concert and the opening of the food area and “Kiddie Land”. The balloon glow begins at 7 p.m. and will be followed by East Texas’ own, Bayou Texas, playing for the hangar dance. On Saturday, May 13, events will begin at 7 a.m. with 20 hot air balloons filling the skies as they fly into Panola County Airport. The airplane fly-in begins at 9 a.m. in addition to a scholarship breakfast that will take place from 9-11 a.m. The Car and Tractor Show revs up at 1 pm and will run until 5pm. Christian Contemporary Artist, Mark Sorenson, will perform from 5-7 p.m. with the balloon glow following. Country band, 100 Proof, will rock the hangar dance from 8:30-10:30 p.m. The celebration wraps up on Sunday morning, May 14, with a final balloon competition beginning at 7 a.m.
“A festival of this type requires the sponsorship and coordination of many volunteers. We are so appreciative that local businesses have joined together to bring the hot air balloon festival back to Panola County this year,” said Caraway. We still need a few more volunteers and welcome those who would like to participate. No previous knowledge is required to act as a crew member, so plan to join a balloon team! To volunteer or for additional information please call 903-986-0933.