May 15, 2012

Preakness Celebration Balloon Festival and the evening glow

Jon Sham 0 Comment Maryland, The Baltimore Sun, Video brian krista, ellicott city, hot air balloons, jon sham, Preakness, preakness hot air balloons, preakness stakes, sarah pastrana, turf valley

21 photos, 1 video

Turf Valley in Ellicott City hosted its fifth annual Preakness Celebration Balloon Festival from May 10-12. Patuxent photographer Sarah Pastrana got an early look Thursday morning, while Brian Krista came out at night to see the balloons light up the sky for the evening glow. Videographer Jon Sham took video from the morning event as well.

: Balloon pilot Kevin Poeppelman of Clarksburg turns on a burner, which is fueled by propane, to keep the Remax balloon inflated. (Sarah Pastrana/Patuxent Homestead)

: Balloonists work to inflate Kaleidoscope, a balloon owned by Wes and Kathy Remley of Quakertown, Pa. (Sarah Pastrana/Patuxent Homestead)

: Visitors takes pictures as a crew inflates a balloon while battling the wind. (Brian Krista/Patuxent Homestead)

: Nate Wilson of Dansville, N.Y., left, and Bill Sisler of Westminster hold tightly to a rope as they keep a balloon from blowing in the wind. (Brian Krista/Patuxent Homestead)

: Chip Galloway of Ellicott City helps inflate Spunky The Flying Skunk. Galloway is the troop master for Boy Scout troop 944, which helps to serve as ground crew for the festival each year. (Sarah Pastrana/Patuxent Homestead)

: Mark Meyer, left, of Westminster holds the wicker basket of Spunky, while pilot John Cavin of Menlo, Ga. inflates his balloon. (Sarah Pastrana/Patuxent Homestead)

: A crew works to stabilize Spunky The Flying Skunk during a windy morning at Turf Valley. The owner and pilot of Spunky, John Cavin of Menlo, Ga., says that balloons of a non-traditional shape cost up to three times more than a traditional hot air balloon. Cavin has been a balloonist for 33 years, and he picked up ballooning after careers as a race car driver and a commercial artist. (Sarah Pastrana/Patuxent Homestead)

: (L-R) Jeff Facto of Eldersburg, Larry Dale of Severn and Steve Andrews of Glen Burnie help to deflate Spunky the flying skunk during a media preview of the Preakness Celebration Balloon Festival. (Sarah Pastrana/Patuxent Homestead)

: (L-R) Jeff Facto of Eldersburg, Chip Galloway of Ellicott City and Kevin Poeppelman of Clarksburg inflate the Remax balloon. (Sarah Pastrana/Patuxent Homestead)

: Chip Galloway, left, of Ellicott City and Mark Meyer of Westminster hold onto the wicker basket of the Remax balloon while the pilot deflates it during the media preview of the Preakness Celebration Balloon Festival. (Sarah Pastrana/Patuxent Homestead)

: Wes and Kathy Remley of Quakertown, Pa., display photographs from various balloon festivals on the doors of the trailer that they use to transport their balloon, Kaleidoscope. The Remleys have attended the Preakness Celebration Balloon Festival every year. (Sarah Pastrana/Patuxent Homestead)

: Melissa Galloway of Ellicott City wears a balloon scarf clasp at the media preview of the Preakness Celebration Balloon Festival. (Sarah Pastrana/Patuxent Homestead)

: Nick Donner of Louisville, Kentucky, operates a balloon owned by Curves International. (Brian Krista/Patuxent Homestead)

: Candice Ngo of Silver Spring, left, tries to capture video of her two year old son Silas playing inside a walkabout balloon, retired from flying, owned by A Beautiful Balloon company from Parsippany, N.J. (Brian Krista/Patuxent Homestead)

: Children play inside a walkabout balloon, retired from flying. (Brian Krista/Patuxent Homestead)

: More balloons begin to rise in time for the evening “glow.” (Brian Krista/Patuxent Homestead)

: A crew prepares their balloon in the dark. (Brian Krista/Patuxent Homestead)

: Four-year-old Barret Emerson of West Friendship, left, sends fire into the sky as balloon operator Patrick Smith of New Market watches during the Preakness Celebration Hot Air Balloon Festival at Turf Valley in Ellicott City on Thursday, May 10, 2012. (Brian Krista/Patuxent Homestead)