Hot air balloons swell festival crowd

Bridge City was filled with unusual sights Saturday evening. Lights from colorful hot air balloons glowed through the skies and a seemingly endless line of cars was full of people lining up to get into the first Hot Air Glo Balloon Festival.

The crowd of an estimated 6,500 people has drawn enough enthusiasm for the Bridge City Chamber of Commerce to begin thinking of bringing the hot air balloons back next year.

"It was amazing," said Mandy Lyda, chamber director about the event. "Everyone is begging for it to come back."

The chamber initiated the festival as a fundraiser and drew widespread sponsorships throughout the industrial-business community. , which sponsored the festival as a fundraiser.

The festival also had a $10 entry fee for everyone except children ages 6 and younger. The chamber made sure the children would be entertained by providing all kinds of amusements like inflatable toys, face painting, a little train, and a petting zoo.

"We've been getting a lot of comments thanking us for having such a family-friendly event," Lyda said.

The estimated 6,500 people went to the festival that opened at 5 p.m. and closed five hours later. The event included performances by the dance teams from Bridge City and Orangefield high schools, along with live bands. Arts and crafts booths were set up by a variety of vendors and 11 food trucks sold meals, snacks, and drinks.

But no alcohol was allowed because the festival was set up on the grounds of the Bridge City elementary and intermediate schools. State laws prohibit alcohol on public school properties.

Lyda said several of the food vendors sold out, as did the vendors in the arts and crafts section.

The hot air balloon company that provides the colorful display of tethered balloons, offered a $25 ride up and down in the craft while tethered. Lyda said there were constant lines for the rides and an estimated 200 were left without a ride. The main reason was because later into the evening the winds had picked up enough to made the operators stop for safety.

The festival even drew out-of-state visitors from Louisiana and even Ohio, plus out-of-towners, including Houston. That's not considering the outside of Bridge City people in Orange County.

Hot Air Glo Balloons displays with community festivals are growing in popularity across the country. The Bridge City Chamber was the first in this region, including the Louisiana area, to hold such a festival.

Lyda said Tuesday the chamber's board and volunteers have not had their assessment of the event, which will include problems and solutions for a possible next year.

And as that assessment comes, leaders in Bridge City will also likely be weighing whether the festival could be strong enough to draw crowds two nights in a row.