Weather grounded the opening day of Sonoma County’s popular annual balloon festival Saturday morning, but spectators were treated to a predawn show on land.
About 3,000 spectators, many of them carrying blankets and sleeping bags, started filling the parking lot of the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa at 4 a.m. for the Sonoma County Hot Air Balloon Classic. They were soon treated to a “glow show,” in which about a dozen tethered balloons created a luminous spectacle while their burners were ignited, accompanied by music.
Low fog and wind, however, forced organizers to cancel the main launch, in which the balloons dot the sky with a kaleidoscope of color. Pilots will try again Sunday, the second day of the festival.
Weather plays a large role in the festival, with cool, calm conditions ideal. Pilots make the decision to fly in consultation with representatives of the Federal Aviation Administration…