Clarence's info on the 2007 Baton Rouge Hot Air Balloon Festival Championship at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center August 10-12, 2007Clarence's Cajun radio program in Baton Rouge is on Saturdays 7pm-8 on 90.3 FM |
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The Baton Rouge Hot Air Balloon Championship 2007 festival will be at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center August 10-12, 2007 in Baton Rouge Baton Rouge annually hosts a major Hot Air Balloon event. It is a very popular event and it everyone tends to bring the entire family to see the balloons. This is located at www.cajunradio.org/batonrougehotairballoon.html GENERAL BALLOON INFO No pets or ice chests. Encouraged to bring your own lawn chairs. The Pennington Biomedical Research center property and the BREC Park property both face Perkins Road. They are next to each other. There is a street that runs perpendicular to Perkins called Kenilworth Parkway. The majority of the 5000 parking spaces are next to Perkins Road, but there are also some spaces at the other end of Kenilworth Parkway. You can think of the area as one big square with the area bordering on Perkins Road and bisected by Kennilworth Parkway. On the west side of Kennilworth is the Balloon area. On the east side of Kennilworth is the BREC park activities including the "Velodrome", Olympia Stadium, Food vendors, and the Children's area. The children's area includes Pony rides on Friday night and Saturday. A "Velodrome" looks kind of like a big bowl that you can ride bikes or skate on going up and down the sides of the big bowl. DIRECTIONS: 6400 Perkins Rd, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70808 From New Orleans: From I-10 headed west, take the Essen Lane exit. After exiting, take a left and go back under the interstate. Stay on this road and cross the railroad track. Take a right at the Perkins Road/Essen Lane intersection (there is an Albertson’s grocery store to the right). Then pass through two red lights. The Pennington Center is on the left in the next block. From Baton Rouge Airport: Take I-110 south which turns into I-10. At that split, take I-10 east. Exit on Perkins Road. Turn left onto Perkins Road. The Pennington Center is located on the right after several blocks. From Lafayette/Alexandria: From I-10 headed east, cross the Mississippi River bridge. Take the Perkins Road exit to your right. Turn left onto Perkins Road. The Pennington Center is located on the right after several blocks. PARKING There are thousands of parking spaces on the Pennington property and at the BREC Park across Kenilworth. No roads will be blocked, city police will be directing traffic. Coming from the north, you should plan to enter the parking area of the site off Perkins Road. Coming from the south you can use Kenilworth Parkway to enter the Parking lot. The Balloons are back in Baton Rouge Giant hot-air balloons will fill the summer skies over Louisiana's capital city for three days, Aug. 10-12. Some 30 pilots from 15 states will scramble to become the best hot-air balloon pilot in the Southeastern U.S. Regional Hot Air Balloon Championship©. In addition, 30 more pilots will compete simultaneously in the 2007 Louisiana State Hot Air Balloon Championship. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED® in 2005 called the completely free event one of "America's Top 25 Summer Essentials." In past years, more than 100,000 spectators from around the world attended the event. "The event is an extended-family event," said George Richard, executive director of the Louisiana Ballooning Foundation. "This year's show opening will be highlighted by the U.S. Army Black Daggers parachute team and daytime fireworks. It's a big show, and even though the crowds are large, everyone has the best seat in the house." The show includes the 60 balloons, skydivers, fireworks, bands and Louisiana cuisine. Everything is free except for food. Early birds who wish to arrive at dawn can watch pilots race into the sunrise for a daily competition. Literally at the mercy of the winds, these pilots guide their 70,000-cubic-foot balloons using only heat from burners. Friday and Saturday, beginning at 6 p.m., skydivers will twirl down from the sky, and pilots will immediately take off in a mass ascension. At 8 p.m., they'll be back for a spectacular "balloon glow," firing off burners to make a kaleidoscope of seven-story light bulbs. Fireworks will cap off the two nights. The event is free and open to the public with food and gift booths on site, including a BREC-sponsored children's playground, which is also free. Parking is free but limited. Visitors are encouraged not only to carpool, but also to bring a blanket and a camera. MORE INFO Visit www.laballooning.org for more info. Please listen to Clarence's Cajun radio programs in Baton Rouge. Saturdays 7pm-8pm on WBRH 90.3 FM View Clarence's Baton Rouge Cajun and Zydeco Schedule. Clarence needs your help - read a message from Clarence here. Home Site index |
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