WATCH: ‘Balloon Glow’ Opens in Brevard, Big Hit at Space Coast Daily Park in Viera

hot air balloons light up like a lantern as the sun goes down in stunning presentation

WATCH: The Friday Night Locker Room’s Orville Susong and Steve Wilson are at the “Balloon Glow” at Space Coast Daily Park in Viera. The Space Coast Daily Balloon Glow Hot Air Balloon Festival opened its three-day run on Friday night in Viera and the colorful hot air balloons glowing at dusk was a huge hit.

Exciting event continues at Space Coast Daily Park through Sunday with activities set for 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

BREVARD COUNTY •  VIERA,  FLORIDA – The Space Coast Daily Balloon Glow Hot Air Balloon Festival opened its three-day run on Friday night in Viera and the colorful hot air balloons glowing at dusk was a huge hit.

The event also includes tethered balloon rides, retail vendors and activities for the entire family.

This exciting event is being hosted at Space Coast Daily Park December 11 through 13 with activities set for 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. each day, including a spectacle called the “balloon glow” where every hot air balloon lights up like a lantern as the sun goes down.

The event will also feature four special shape balloons owned by local hot air balloon pilot John Cavin.

The Space Coast Daily Balloon Glow is operated by Delaware-based company Easy Events Group, which is the largest operator of hot air balloon events in the country.

The new Viera event will be the annual season finale for the company in years to come.

Patrick Fogue is the Balloon Director for The Balloon Glow Tour and flies corporate balloons for Pepsi, IMTS and Marvin Windows, in addition to smaller regional contracts.

He says there is nothing quite like a balloon festival when it comes to bringing people together.

“There is just something magical about hot air balloons that brings people together, and given the year we have had, that is something we need right now,” said Fogue.

“When they light up or twinkle in unison, just seeing the look on people’s faces makes it all worthwhile.”

For local hot air balloon pilot John Cavin, this is the first time he will have a selection of his hot air balloons on display. He operates cartoon balloons, the world’s largest collection of special shape hot air balloons.

“It sure will be nice to not have to drive a million miles for this one! In a normal year, we will have vehicles with hot air balloons zig-zagging the country every week to get different balloons to different events. This year has been tough on the industry, but it has been especially tough on people in general.

For us to get these balloons out and give people a little respite on what their day to day worries might be, it really is a special thing and it makes me feel good that we can do something for my neighbors in our community, too.”

For Richard Garvie, the President and CEO of Easy Events Group, it has been an incredibly tough year. Not only has the company lost around 30 events, they also have venue and permit fees tied up in events that now won’t take place until next year.

If that wasn’t stressful enough, now he is responsible for getting events going again and doing it safely. As part of an Events and Festivals Industry response to COVID-19, he has been one of those leading the way when it comes to shaping what event protocols should be and executing events safely.

“The biggest thing for us is to try and bring a little normalcy back to the day to day life,” said Garvie.

“Things are going to look a little bit different for the short term future, but whatever we have to do to start getting back to normal is a small effort for each and all of us.

“We are going to be doing pre-registration only, so we internally have a record of every guest that visits the event. This won’t be shared with anyone, but ensures we can reach out to anyone should we need to. We will also be doing temperature checks and will be asking our guests to socially distance at the event. We also encourage people to wear facial coverings when around other guests.”

LIVE MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT

Saturday and Sunday: 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.: The Dave Kury Band. Popular saxophonist Kenny Cohen will join the Dave Kury Band for a special performance on Saturday evening.

For further details, e-mail to Contact@SpaceCoastDaily.com

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