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Michigan Challenge Balloonfest, June 23-25; Howell

More than 50 spectacular balloons will fill the Southeast Michigan skies with color and spectacle. But the Michigan Challenge is lots more than balloons. It's a weekend filled with excitement, entertainment and fun. 517-546-3920

The Ann Arbor News writes:

Balloon fly-ins take place between 6-8 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, and mass balloon launches are scheduled for all three days of the festival between 6-8 p.m., weather permitting.

One of the highlights of balloonfest is the Balloon Glow-Skydiving night show, Saturday beginning at dusk. More than 20 balloons will participate in the display, in which pilots inflate their balloons on the ground.

Other balloonfest highlights are the arts festival, with more than 200 exhibiting artists and artisans, and the medieval village, staged by the Society for Creative Anachronism. Village "residents'' will be decked out in medieval garb and there will be jousting contests, knights in shining armor, dancing, music, displays and demonstrations of arts and crafts from the period.

Michigan Challenge Balloonfest web site
View a great set of pre-festival photos
Read Area readies for Michigan Challenge Balloonfest in the Ann Arbor News

Posted/updated Jun 15, 2006
by William Stevens (Absolute Michigan Lifestyles Editor)