Thousands of people will spend the weekend of July 14, 15 and 16 celebrating the wonders of western Massachusetts, and sporadic groups of willing participants will float 3,000 feet above it.
The Green River Festival always means plenty of music and lots of hot air balloons, which are synonymous with the 31-year-old event.
Balloon meister Paul Sena, owner of Worthington Ballooning, has been involved with the festival for more than 20 years, and said 10 balloons and pilots are coming this year from as far away as Pennsylvania.
He said the event started as a hot-air balloon festival modeled after the Quechee, Vt.
Balloon launches are expected to begin in the evening on Friday, July 14, Saturday, July 15, and Sunday, July 16, and in the morning on July 15 and 16.
“We don’t know what the outcome is going to be,” Sena said about hot-air ballooning. “Every time we fly, we don’t know what our destination will be.”
The full balloon rides last about an hour. They are for $225 per person in advance and include a one-day pass to the festival. Tickets can also be purchased at the festival for $250. You may make your reservation by calling the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce at 413-773-5463 or sending an email to: fccc@franklincc.org.
There will be tethered five-minute balloon rides available on the field for people who don’t want to go particularly high. Tethered rides are $10 for children and $15 for adults and can be purchased that day on the field.
For those a little more adventurous, Sena said the full balloon rides can go as high as 3,000 feet in the air, making the Quabbin Reservior and Mount Monadnock visible to riders.
Sena can be reached at 413-238-5514 or worthingtonballooning@gmail.com.