>> NORTH CAROLINA'S TRADITION IN FLIGHT IS WELL-DOCUMENTED, BUT
IT ISN'T ENTIRELY DEPENDENT ON THE WRIGHT BROTHERS.
BECAUSE WHEN IT COMES TO HOSTING HOT AIR BALLOON FESTIVALS, ONLY
NEW MEXICO HAS BEEN IN THE GAME LONGER THAN THE TAR HEEL STATE.
>> THERE'S BEEN MANY BALLOON FESTS OVER THE YEARS, BALLOON
RALLIES AS THEY USED TO BE CALLED, BUT OURS HAS BEEN GOING
ON FOR 40 YEARS IN A ROW.
>> CAROLINA BALLOON FEST HAS BEEN A STAPLE IN STATESVILLE,
TAKING FLIGHT EVERY OCTOBER SINCE 1974.
>> WE'RE RIGHT AFTER ALBUQUERQUE, WHICH IS THE
LARGEST BALLOON FESTIVAL AND ACTUALLY THE OLDEST.
WE'RE THE SECOND OLDEST IN THE COUNTRY.
BUT THE BALLOONISTS COME FROM 15, 20 DIFFERENT STATES JUST TO
ATTEND THIS EVENT BECAUSE OF ITS HISTORY.
>> WE LOVE THIS FESTIVAL.
SO I LIVE UP IN INDIANA NOW BUT STILL MAKE THE TRIP DOWN HERE.
SO IT'S A PRETTY BIG DEAL.
AS FAR AS LONG-STANDING BALLOON FESTIVALS, THIS IS ONE OF THE --
THE LONGEST ONES OUT THERE AND DRAWS A HUGE CROWD.
>> THAT NUMBERS NEARLY 30,000 PEOPLE OVER THE COURSE OF THE
THREE-DAY FESTIVAL EACH YEAR.
MANY OF THEM ARE LIKE KEELIA BROWN.
THEY'VE COME HERE TO TRY SOMETHING NEW.
>> I'M EXCITED TO GO BACK TO WORK AND TELL PEOPLE THAT I GOT
TO RIDE IN A HOT AIR BALLOON.
IT WAS A FIRST TIME FOR ME.
SO IT WAS EXCITING.
I EXPECTED IT TO BE MORE SCARY, REALLY, BECAUSE YOU THINK THAT
YOU'RE GOING SO HIGH IN THE AIR, BUT IT'S REALLY NOT THAT BAD.
>> NOT SURPRISINGLY, TETHERED BALLOON RIDES ARE A STAR
ATTRACTION IN STATESVILLE.
EVEN THOUGH THEIR ELEVATIONS ARE LIMITED, THE THRILLS THEY
PROVIDE ARE NOT.
>> IT WAS SO AWESOME.
>> DEFINITELY, IT WAS A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE.
IT WAS REALLY UNIQUE.
YOU GOT THE FULL AIR EXPERIENCE AND, YOU KNOW, YOU FELT THE AIR,
YOU FELT THE HEAT AND EVERYTHING.
>> ONCE OFF THE GROUND, YOU KNOW, LIKE, OH, MY GOSH, I'M SO
SCARED.
I THINK WE'RE GOING TO CRASH.
AND THEN ONCE YOU'RE LIKE HIGH UP AND GETTING READY TO COME
BACK, IT'S LIKE THIS WASN'T SO BAD AFTER ALL.
>> BUT IF YOU'RE MOST COMFORTABLE WITH FEET FIRMLY
PLANTED ON THE GROUND, THERE IS STILL PLENTY TO DO AT CAROLINA
BALLOON FEST.
WHEN THE WEATHER IS WORTHY, A TAPESTRY TAKES OFF WITH DOZENS
OF BALLOONS SOARING INTO THE SKIES OVER IREDELL COUNTY.
>> THE MOST UNIQUE EXPERIENCE YOU'LL EVER HAVE.
I THINK IT'S ONE OF EVERYBODY'S BUCKET LIST THINGS THAT THEY
WANT TO DO, SEE, EITHER RIDE ONE, SEE ONE.
BUT WHEN YOU SEE 55 GOING UP AT A TIME, I'VE BEEN HERE SO MANY
YEARS, AND IT'S STILL JUST -- I LOVE EVERY SECOND OF IT.
>> BECAUSE OF ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS, THE NON-TETHERED
BALLOONS USUALLY ONLY LAUNCH IN THE MORNINGS AND LATE
AFTERNOONS.
>> ♪ YOU SMILE ♪ >> THAT'S WHY FESTIVAL
ORGANIZERS HAVE LIVE MUSIC AND ALL KINDS OF OTHER ACTIVITIES TO
OFFER, INCLUDING A FEW INFLATABLES THAT NEVER LEAVE THE
GROUND AND PLENTY OF FOOD.
>> HOW ARE YOU?
>> THERE ARE LOTS OF THINGS OVER THERE TO DO.
THERE ARE BOUNCY HOUSES.
THERE'S ROCK CLIMBING.
THERE'S A BUNGEE JUMPING AREA.
>> HEY!
>> WE WANT THE PEOPLE TO HAVE SOMETHING TO DO THROUGHOUT THE
DAY TO WAIT ON THE BALLOONS, BECAUSE THAT'S ALWAYS OUR
BIGGEST QUESTION.
WHEN ARE THE BALLOONS GOING UP?
AND USUALLY IT'S EARLY MORNING AND LATE AFTERNOON.
>> AT SOME OUTDOOR EVENTS, THE ACTION KIND OF WINDS DOWN WHEN
THE SUN DOES, BUT HERE AT THE CAROLINA BALLOON FESTIVAL,
ONE OF THE MOST DRAMATIC ACTIVITIES HAPPENS AFTER DARK.
A ROUTINE PART OF BALLOON FLIGHT DURING THE DAY BECOMES
EXTRAORDINARY AT NIGHT.
THE BALLOON GLOW IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST DRAWS OF THE FESTIVAL.
>> YOU'VE GOT TO DEFINITELY STAY FOR THE NIGHT GLOW HERE.
IT'S REALLY SPECTACULAR.
IT'S LIKE 55 ROMAN CANDLES LIGHTING UP ALL THE TIME IN A
SPECTACULAR DISPLAY OF COLOR.
>> THE FAVORITE THING ALL DAY.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE EVER BEEN HERE, AND I'VE NEVER SEEN
ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE.
>> FOR FOUR DECADES NOW, THE CAROLINA BALLOON FEST HAS BEEN
GIVING ITS VISITORS BRAND NEW EXPERIENCES, AND THERE ARE NO
PLANS TO GROUND THE FESTIVITIES ANYTIME SOON.
>> IREDELL COUNTY, STATESVILLE, IS JUST PROUD OF THE HERITAGE
THAT BALLOONING HAS PRESENTED IN THE COMMUNITY, AND -- AND WE
WANT TO CONTINUE AND PERPETUATE THAT.
>> 40 YEARS OF HOT AIR BALLOONS HAVE MADE THEIR MARK IN
STATESVILLE, BUT THAT'S NOT THE ONLY LEGACY THEY'VE LEFT.
THE FESTIVAL IS A NONPROFIT AND DONATES ITS PROCEEDS TO
CHARITIES EACH YEAR.
IN STATESVILLE, I'M ROB HOLLIDAY FOR "NORTH CAROLINA WEEKEND."