The sights and sounds from 35 hot air balloons and 25 bands are expected to hover over town during the Greenwood Balloon Music Fest, set for June 16-19 in Whittington Park.
Organizer Ken Gammill is excited about the musical lineup headlined by Southern Halo, Lauren Alaina and Craig Campbell and plans for two balloon glows on Thursday and Friday nights.
“Thursday’s balloon glow will be inside Whittington Park, and it’s free,” he said. Organizers want people to be tempted to return on the weekend not only for music and balloons but also for activities such as a petting zoo for children and a motorcycle rally and crafts vendors.
The festival’s organizers are Gammill, Richard Byrd, Derrick Simpson, Ben Cox and Mark Bowie.
David Elmore, one of the original organizers, said Tuesday he no longer is associated with the event but declined to say why.
The festival has a number of business sponsors, including Budweiser, WXVT, WABG and WDMS.
Among the public sponsors are the city of Greenwood with $10,000 including in-kind services and Leflore County, with a $10,000 contribution. The Greenwood Convention and Visitors Bureau is providing a $3,500 grant for advertising and promotion.
Park admission prices will be $10 on Friday and $15 on Saturday. A weekend pass will cost $20, Gammill said.
Balloon flights and competitions are being scheduled for mornings and evenings Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with a final flight on Sunday morning. The launch site will be at Greenwood High School.
Gammill said plans for music seem to have hit the right note.
Both Alaina, an “American Idol” runner up, and Campbell, best known for his hit song “Fish,” have singles doing well on the charts, he said. “We’ve got some entertainment that since we chose them have really moved up,” he said.
Southern Halo, a trio of young female musicians from Cleveland, Mississippi, will perform Thursday night, followed by Alaina on
Friday night and Campbell on Saturday night.
See more at http://greenwoodballoonfest.net/.
•Contact Susan Montgomery at 581-7235 or smontgomery@gwcommonwealth.com.
