BOISE — There’s only one time of year when Ann Morrison Park fills up with cars and people before the sun rises.
This year marks 33 years of the Spirit of Boise Classic, when hot air balloon pilots and their crews gather from across the nation to take flight in clear-blue Boise skies. Folks were gathering together at 6:30 a.m. on Thursday for media day, watching balloons billowing as they were filled up with cool air, being prepared to lift off the dewy morning grass into the sky.
Around 47 balloons were filled and flying by 8 a.m. Thursday morning, each one with a different, unique story.
“It’s pure magic,” August Johnson said during an interview with the Idaho Press on Thursday.
Johnson and his family rode in Rex Jennings’ “baby T-rex” hot air balloon on Thursday morning. The opportunity came when Jennings called up Johnson — who owns a camper van rental business in Boise— in search of a place to park his RV while he was in town for Spirit of Boise. Jennings wanted to rent a spot from Johnson, who obliged in exchange for a hot air balloon ride on his daughter McKinley’s 8th birthday on Aug. 29.