Up, Up, and Away: The Labor Day Lift Off 

It’s that time of year….summer has come and gone, schools have started, and the weather is hinting at the arrival of fall. With one last holiday weekend before winter arrives, you’re pondering how and where to spend your Labor Day weekend. Ponder no more.  A short drive down from the mountains, The Labor Day Lift Off, in Colorado Springs is the perfect way to spend your holiday weekend while experiencing a unique event.

This 40-year tradition of hot air ballooning, The Labor Day Lift Off, literally takes to the air on September 3-5, 2016. Have you ever seen more than fifty, yes that is 50, hot air balloons ascend into the sky, one after another? It’s an amazing sight. The balloons themselves are interesting, as they come in a variety of colors, themes, shapes and sizes. Darth Vader, yep he’s in the sky. A balloon shaped like a shoe or a shamrock? Check and double check, they’re aloft also.

This amazing event has historically been one of the top ten largest hot air balloon events in the United States, attracting balloonists, vendors and tourists to the festival. The breathtaking show is free to the public, and includes a 7:00 AM inflation and lift off session each day, and a pair of 7:00 PM evening Balloon Glow sessions on Saturday and Sunday. As the sun sets at Memorial Park, the hot air balloons “glow” amid the night sky. Balloon glows are perhaps the most spectacular part of any balloon festival.

This year’s event is expected to attract as many as 70 colorful balloons for the festivities.  It’s a wonderful, family-friendly event, which is sure to delight both adults and children alike.  There are a variety of activities in addition to the hot air balloons, including skydiving demonstrations, wakeboarding exhibitions, paddle boarding, live entertainment, beer gardens and more.  For a complete schedule and information, please visit https://coloradospringslabordayliftoff.com .

But wait, there’s more……if this isn’t enough adventure for your Labor Day weekend, and you want to experience even more exhilaration…..there’s one more insider “secret tip” we can share with you: why not actually ride in one of the hot air balloons? Yes. You. Can. There are limited opportunities to register for this incredible experience, via Rainbow Ryders.  For more information or to register, please visit https://coloradospringslabordayliftoff.com/rainbow-ryders-hot-air-balloon-rides/ .

The great thing about living in or visiting the mountains is you have the best of two worlds: you can drive to the city to experience high flying events like the Labor Day Lift Off, and then you can return to the mountains and actually be up in the air with your feet on the ground. You don’t have to choose, you can experience both over the weekend.  Now that’s what we call “Mountain Town Living”.

Photos and Story by Jenise Jensen