A Unique Balloon Festival Faces Challenges but Still Delights Visitors
A new festival centered around hot air balloons brought joy to thousands of visitors, even though it faced some challenges due to adverse weather conditions. The event, held at Lydiard Park, was organized by David Bailey and featured a variety of family-friendly activities. However, the unpredictable winds forced the cancellation of several key highlights, all for safety reasons.
On Friday evening, strong and consistent winds made it impossible for any of the planned balloon flights. These balloons were set to take on unique shapes, including Cadbury Creme Eggs, aliens, a snake, sheep, Barclays House, and the Aston Martin logo. Instead of flying, the balloons remained grounded, and their tethering was also not possible. Despite this, visitors could still enjoy other attractions such as stunt shows, Viking and Civil War reenactments, and a fireworks finale. The night-glow event also took place, with bursts of flame lighting up the sky from the grounded balloon baskets.
The following day, Saturday, saw similar weather issues. The 6am balloon ascents were called off, and low cloud cover prevented the Jump Dogs Parachute Team from performing their planned display. The night-glow event was again limited to the baskets, without any balloons in the sky. However, despite these setbacks, the festival received widespread praise from attendees on social media. Many visitors highlighted the great experience they had, appreciating the affordable ticket prices and the variety of other attractions available.
Balloon pilot Jonathan Harris, part of the Butlers team, shared his perspective on the event. Alongside friends and family—Kevin, Amy, Carol, and Steve—he helps manage a round balloon that is 90,000 cubic feet wide and can carry four people. He explained, “We fly around Berkshire, Hampshire, and Wiltshire for fun. I’ve been a pilot for nearly four years, and my dad has been involved for 52 years—it’s a great hobby. The weather is always a bit of a gamble, but this is a fantastic event for families. The fireworks were brilliant, and all the balloonists I’ve spoken to are really keen to return, so we hope this continues.”
David Bailey, the event organizer, estimated that over 7,000 people attended on Friday alone. He expressed satisfaction with the turnout and the positive feedback received. “It’s been a great success, and the response has been very positive. People think this is a wonderful initiative. We managed to keep traffic flowing smoothly, and apart from the fireworks and the occasional gunshot from the Civil War re-enactors, there hasn’t been much noise. The neighbors haven’t complained, and the council is happy and wants us back next year.”
Bailey added, “We will definitely be back next year—hopefully with some balloons this time!”
