Wind to blame for canceled Balloon Fest events - WDRB 41 Louisville - News, Weather, Sports Community

Wind to blame for canceled Balloon Fest events

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Kentucky Derby Festival's Great Balloon Fest lifted off Thursday night, but it didn't last long.

The Great Balloon Glimmer went on for almost a half hour at Waterfront Park before it was canceled.

High winds were to blame.

Seventeen balloons take part in the Glimmer, with most of them moving on to participate in the Rush Hour Race Friday morning and Great Balloon Race Saturday.

"We love this time of the year. This is how we kick off our year -- by coming here to the Louisville area to fly and start our balloon flying year. I'm from Louisville, so this is great for us to start here locally, and we move on throughout the year and fly around the country," says pilot Nick Donner.

The Great Balloon Tour was supposed to take place Thursday afternoon at EP Tom Sawyer Park, but winds also forced its cancellation.

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  • Thanks to a grant from Norton Healthcare, this story and others are available in real-time closed captioning on WDRB.
    Thanks to a grant from Norton Healthcare, this story and others are available in real-time closed captioning on WDRB.