Ballons over Hudson..Geocaching

The sky over the St. Croix River Valley will turn colorful this weekend.

Hot-air balloons will take flight over Hudson, Wis., on Saturday and Sunday for the 21st annual Hot Air Affair.

About 30 balloons are taking part in this year’s festival, which also will feature several family-friendly events Friday through Sunday.

Weather permitting, the balloons will go up at 7:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, and an afternoon balloon flight is planned for 3 p.m. Saturday.

At 6:30 p.m. Saturday, the balloons are scheduled to participate in a ‘Moon Glow,’ in which the balloons stay on the ground and inflate, illuminating like Chinese lanterns.

‘What a spectacular sight,’ said Kim Heinemann, president of the Hudson Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau. The annual celebration draws crowds to the western Wisconsin city each winter.

Spectators are welcome to watch the balloon flights, but rides will not be available to the public.

Dozens of events — including live music, fireworks and a 5K run — will take place in Hudson starting Friday as part of the Hot Air Affair.

New this year are geocaching events, where participants hunt for items using global positioning systems. At 10 a.m. Saturday, visitors can learn the basics of how geocaching works during a seminar at E.P. Rock Elementary, 340 13th St. S., Hudson. Geocachers can pick up a “Cache In Trash Out” bag at the school between 8 and 11 a.m. that day and help clean up Hudson while participating.
The Torchlight “Peace, Love & Balloons” Parade kicks off shortly after 7 p.m. Friday along Second Street in downtown Hudson. Grand marshal for this year’s parade is Neal Doughty, keyboardist for REO Speedwagon.

Weekend charity events in conjunction with the Hot Air Affair will benefit Haiti relief and Turningpoint, which helps victims of domestic and sexual violence in Pierce and St. Croix counties.

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