Several weeks after the 10th Annual Chester County Balloon Festival was held at New Garden Township’s Flying Field in Toughkenamon, a handful of area residents are continuing to celebrate.
On Thursday, July 14, three sets of homeowners landed prizes that could be considered a windfall. After all, their good fortune was dependent in part on the weather.
Because hot-air balloons rely on the prevailing breezes, pilots often can’t choose their landing site. But when they end up descending into someone’s yard, they continue a tradition that dates back to 18th-century France: The landowner gets a bottle of champagne.
The Chester County Balloon Festival goes a step further: In addition to the bubbly, the landowners each get a raffle ticket. Over the course of the three-day festival, 25 balloons flew three times each, resulting in 75 landings, said Deb Harding, administrative director of the festival. From those names, three won totes overflowing with flight-themed merchandise and gift certificates for area attractions and restaurants.
For Harding and Lori Williams, one of her associates, playing Santa in July is a lot of fun. They enjoyed descending on the winners on Thursday, a journey that started at the Harlan residence in East Marlborough Township before continuing on to winners in Landenberg and Avondale.
“Wow! I think we did pretty well here,” said Tricia Harlan as Williams and Harding described the family’s second-place prize, which included a stay-cation at the Fairville Inn, gift certificates for Victory Brewing Company and the Eagle Tavern, Longwood Gardens tickets, and much more.
Her three daughters, Paige, Kylie and Delaney, were equally impressed. Delaney, the youngest, remembered being outside on the back porch and hearing her father say that he thought he heard a hot-air balloon. Summoning the wisdom that being a sixth-grader brings, Delaney said she didn’t think so.
Then the phone rang. “Our neighbor said, ‘Go outside right now,’” recalled Tricia Harlan. One balloon had landed in their front yard, and another was a short distance away on the street.
Acknowledging that her father, Michael Harlan, had been right, Delaney described him as the most excited about the experience. “He called it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” she said. And that was before the raffle triumph.
Kylie, who's in eighth grade, said she even got to go for a short balloon ride, which was also a treat.
“The people in the balloon were very friendly,” said Tricia Harlan. “The whole experience was great fun.”
She said the family, longtime fans of the Balloon Festival, had no idea that a procedure exists to encourage balloonists to land in certain yards. The Harlan family will be ready next year, she said.
For those who want to be in the running for a bonanza valued at more than $500 each that includes gift certificates ranging from Air Ventures to the Duling-Kurtz House to Avondale Natural Foods, here’s the drill: Spread an old bedsheet, cloth, or large paper marked with an “X’” or “OK to land here” on the lawn or field, or tie helium balloons to the mailbox. Then coax the wind to cooperate.
Harding said attendance doubled at this year’s event, drawing an estimated crowd of between 22,000 and 25,000 people, and she expressed gratitude for the support of the community as well as the event’s many donors. The festival’s increasing popularity produced some traffic tie-ups for which Harding apologized, adding that steps will be taken to make sure they don’t occur again.
But before she begins making plans for next year’s festival, Harding plans to toast Citadel. It provided the festival with more than 100 bottles of champagne.
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