On Friday, June 19, the Children’s Smile Center will hold the 20th annual Hot Air Balloon Glow in Finley River Park. The event will take place in the soccer fields in the north side of the park, where eight balloon pilots will inflate and light up their balloons, giving members of the public the opportunity to see the craft up close and speak with the pilots and their crew members.
Jackie Barger, executive director of the Children’s Smile Center, said the Hot Air Balloon Glow was originally held in the late fall as a fundraiser for Make-A-Wish starting in 2007.
“Make-A-Wish had already decided on a date for the southwest Missouri event, which led me to try and find an already existing event that we could ‘piggy-back’ with,” he said. “The date was Saturday, November 17, and the only thing I could find to ‘piggy-back’ was the annual Christmas parade in Ozark. My only contact with balloon pilots was Springfield area attorney Carson Elliff, who helped organize the first few events. We decided to use the vacant soccer fields on the north side of Finley River Park, which would provide a good vantage point for all the cars driving by near the finish of the Annual Drive-Through Christmas Lights in Ozark.”
Barger added that “the resulting traffic jams” demonstrated the appeal of the event.
Three years later, Make A Wish dropped the Hot Air Balloon Glow as a fundraiser, but the Children’s Smile Center continued to hold the event. However, after experiencing high winds while holding the Hot Air Balloon Glow in November of 2010 and 2011, it was decided that the event would need to happen when the weather was more clement. At that point, Barger said, the Children’s Smile Center suggested that the event be held during the Sertoma Duck Race Festival.
“Children's Smile Center proposed to the Sertoma Duck Race organizers that they bring their event to the Friday night schedule of the Duck Race in June, which at once became a big hit,” Barger said.
Because of the Hot Air Balloon Glow’s popularity, changes were made to the event as needed.
“Massive growth in numbers of attendees resulted in the need for more intense planning of traffic flow and parking,” Barger said. “The Ozark Police Department was instrumental in helping the event manage the amount of traffic to downtown Ozark. Over the years, we added a VIP Dinner for balloon pilots and sponsors, as well as a large video screen to thank the corporate sponsors. In recent years we moved the post-event propane fill-up for the balloon pilots to behind Fire Station One, greatly improving safety.
“This year, the Duck Race organizers made a major change to the grounds by incorporating a large carnival company into the space previously used by the Balloon Glow, which caused the move from the field on the south side to the original north side of the park location.”
The secret behind the Hot Air Balloon Glow’s popularity, Barger said, is that it is a highly unique event.
“Hot air balloons are a rare sight, let alone as many as eight all in one place,” he said. “In the past we have had as many as eleven pilots bring their balloons to Ozark for our event.”
Also adding to the event’s appeal, Barger said, is the massive size of the balloons, which “ provides an awe-inspiring visual spectacle,” and the visuals of the balloons that he said create “a rare and special opportunity for one-of-a-kind photography experiences.”
Finally, many people enjoy speaking to the balloon pilots.
“With the balloons tethered to the ground for as long as 90 minutes, attendees have the chance to visit with pilots and watch them regulate and care for not only their aircraft, but their crew and attendees.”
The result, said Barger, is an event that “draws thousands of attendees from throughout the Four-State region.”
While the Balloon Glow is a fundraiser in support of the Children’s Smile Center, there is no admission for members of the public to enter.
“We want an event that anybody could attend,” Barger said. “We do not want to limit attendees because of an admission fee.”
While the Hot Air Balloon Glow is a separate event from the Sertoma Duck Race Festival, Barger said, the holding of the two events so closely together is mutually beneficial to them.
“While both events are separate (the 4C Sertoma Club runs the Duck Race Festival, while Children's Smile Center produces the Balloon Glow),” Barger said, “each offers synergistic opportunities for the other. Children's Smile Center benefits from the work of Sertoma to oversee and direct parking, food and drink vendors, porta potties, security and more, (while) Sertoma benefits from the large crowds that the Glow brings to downtown Ozark.”
The Balloon Glow is expected to begin at about 8 p.m., provided weather conditions are favorable, but parking for the Balloon Glow/Duck Race Festival opens at 5 p.m., and there is a $10 fee for parking. Arriving early is recommended. For more information about the Balloon Glow, go online to www.smilecentermo.org and click on the “Fundraisers” tab, or view the event’s page on Facebook. More information about the Sertoma Duck Festival is available online at https://4csertoma.com/sertoma-duck-race, or go to the Sertoma Duck Festival Facebook page.
