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Balloons stay grounded Friday,
still fun to be had
[August 29, 2026]
It is that time of year again.
As the summer begins its trek to fall, balloonists from both near
and far make the trip to Lincoln. This weekend is the 2026 Balloons
Over 66 Weekend. Several of these balloonists are from Lincoln
and/or Logan County, but some come from states away. This is true of
not just the balloonists, but also those who make the short or long
journey to see the hot air balloons.
This past Friday, August 28th, saw the attempted liftoff of many hot
air balloons from the Open Arms Lincoln campus. The weather was
beautiful. The sun was a bit warm, but the wind was not too strong.
This final fact, unfortunately, is what kept the balloons from
launching.
Several test balloons were sent up into the air, and they went
straight up. When flying a hot air balloon, it is important to have
the right amount of wind. Too little and the balloon will not fly
very far. Too much and it can end up much farther away than was
intended.
A ribbon cutting was held out in the field. LDN’s own Nila Smith and
Karen Castelein provided the ribbon and extra-large scissors for the
moment. Afterward, Lincoln Director of Tourism Scott McCoy requested
the ribbon be cut into smaller strips. His plan was to give one to
each of the pilots.
A pilots meeting was held in the
middle of the field where they were informed of the lack of wind. It
was left up to the pilots if they wanted to fly or simply wait to
inflate until it was time for the glow later in the evening. With
the exception of one brave team, all other pilots chose to stay
grounded. The team that did make it off the ground did not make it
very far, unfortunately. They made it about ten feet in the air,
flew over some vehicles, and then came back down.
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This did not seem to spoil anyone’s
fun, however. The balloon teams still worked on setting up their
balloons. One of these balloon teams was Dream Incorporated Balloon
Adventures of Galesburg, Illinois. Cassidy and Jason Dunn were in
charge of a large rainbow balloon with a zigzagging pattern. Cassidy
held the rope attached to the top of the balloon to help it inflate
before it went upright, and Jason manned the pilot's seat and the
burner.
Those who came to watch got to
enjoy music, drinks from the Brew 66 traveling trailer, and
hamburgers and hotdogs that were being sold by Open Arms. The Brew
66 trailer had many delicious items for sale. There was the standard
hot coffee, which became more appealing after the sun started to set
and the air started to cool off. They also had several mixed
beverages, such as a lemonade with blood orange and cherry. They had
a special drink that they called the “Mother Road Root Beer.” It was
a base of root beer with caramel and cream added. It was also served
with a silly straw that had a hot air balloon on the end.
As the sun began to set, the audience settled in for the glow. To
see photos and an article on the glow from Friday night, see LDN’s
coverage of that event.
Balloons Friday night launch photo slideshow part 1
Balloons Friday night launch photo slideshow part 2
Balloons Friday night launch photo slideshow part 3
2026
Balloons Over 66 Friday Evening video playlist
[Matt Boutcher]
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