Lake Shelbyville Illinois will once again this year be the home to Shelby Electric Cooperative and several other Illinois Touchstone Energy Cooperatives who have teamed up to bring in the Touchstone Energy Hot Air balloon team.

lake-shelbyville-illinois-touchstone-energy-balloon-fest-2012Come see hot air balloon pilots from Chicago, Iowa, Missouri and Central Illinois fly Lake Shelbyville with flights Friday night, Saturday & Sunday mornings and enjoy a nightglow Saturday evening (weather permitting).

The Touchstone Energy Balloon Fest is being held in conjunction with the Shelbyville Scarecrow Daze providing plenty to see and do Columbus Day weekend.

Note: All scheduled balloon events and times are weather dependent and are at the pilot’s discretion (see box at left). The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would appreciate everyone following the No Parking signs that will be posted in designated areas.

Pilot’s Discretion – Ballooning is a very weather dependent sport and if winds are high or storms are in the area, pilots could determine they do not feel it is safe to fly. They may determine they will fly but cannot take passengers for safety reasons. Even if the sun is shining and it appears to be a great day, winds could play a factor on any ballooning activity (this is primarily a concern for safe landings).

Official Schedule:

  • Friday 5pm Media Flight—Dam West Recreation Area
  • Saturday morning sunrise Sponsor/Task Flight—At the Airport
  • Saturday night Glow and Cookout—*NEW location* Shelby County Airport, W Hwy 16. Plenty of food and drink will be available starting at 4pm with the proceeds benefitting the Shelbyville Fire Department. Thunder Hits DJ service will be providing some great music from late afternoon until the end of the glow.
  • Sunday morning sunrise Sponsor/Task Flight—At Dam West Recreation Center

Note: All scheduled balloon events and times are weather dependent and are at the pilot’s discretion

Here are some ballooning definitions to help you get the most out of your balloon experience:

  • Balloon Glow—All the balloons inflate in a central location and don’t leave ground. At dusk, they fire up their burners causing the balloon envelopes to light up for a pretty sight.
  • Sponsor/Task Flight—Sponsors of the balloons get to utilize a balloon for two of the three weekend flights. These two flights include a Pilot Task. While in flight, the Pilots perform tasks at pre-determined locations, scoring points and competing for prizes.
  • Media Flight—To increase publicity for the event, balloon events host a Media Flight where area media is invited to fly in a balloon. The activity gives media personnel first-hand material to utilize for area news papers, websites, TV news and radio.
  • Pilot’s Discretion—Ballooning is a very weather dependent sport. If winds are high or storms are in the area, Pilots may determine it is not safe to fly. Pilots may even determine they will fly, but don’t want to take passengers for safety reasons. If the sun is shining and it appears to be a great day, winds can still play a factor for any ballooning activity (this is primarily a concern for their landings).
  • Chase Crew—A Chase Crew is made up of volunteers who help set up the balloon, take part in the chase by riding in the chase

Times and Dates are Subject to Change

Follow the Touchstone Energy Balloon Team at their website www.shelbyelectric.coop or via their Facebook page www.facebook.com/CoopBalloon