Early on the morning of July 7, eight pilots with the Great Reno Balloon Race (GRBR) were getting ready to go up in their hot air balloons.
The pilots and their crews rolled out the giant balloons on the grassy fields at Rancho San Rafael Regional Park and began filling them with air from large fans. They then ignited the burners attached to the basket to fill the balloons with hot air.
The GRBR first lifted off in 1982. It’s now celebrating its 42nd year in the Reno sky. The balloons take flight from Rancho Park from September 8-10.
This year, two new co-hosts will be joining the balloon race. Kay Salerno and Shila Morris, co-owners of the Squeeze In restaurants, will join Ron Smith in hosting.
The free event is bound to get busy. Pete Copeland, the executive director of the nonprofit, said that they have around 90 balloons each year, with about 150,000 people attending the event over the three-day period.
This year also marks the 40th anniversary of Dawn Patrol. The show, which usually takes place around 5-5:30 in the morning, gives trained balloonists a chance to fly in the dark before the sun rises. They use a burner and propane to light up the inside of the balloons while synchronizing their lighting with music played over the speakers.
Although Dawn Patrol might be the hardest part of the show, it’s also the most exciting, said Katie Griggs, the flight director for the Great Reno Balloon Race.
“It’s a passion. I’ve been flying in the Great Reno Balloon Race probably about 28 years. It’s exciting for me to see the faces of the young children when we’re at an event. One of my favorite parts is when we do a glow when it’s still dark, and you light up the balloon and the kids’ faces are just in awe,” she said.
KUNR’s Ember Braun is a student at the Reynolds School of Journalism.
