DELTA, Pa. — Dozens of people are taking to the skies, as the 7th Annual Chesapeake Bay Balloon Festival kicked off in southern York County. The event drew hundreds of people from both sides of the Mason-Dixon line, as they came to the festival to ride on hot air balloons.
“It’s surreal being up in the balloon and being in the air," said Jennifer Moeller, who came to the festival with her two nephews.
“You don’t really get this anywhere else. I’ve never been on a hot air balloon until today," said Owen Smith, who rode a hot air balloon with his family.
The festival features professional balloonists from ten states and offers hot air balloon rides throughout the weekend. For people who are new to flying hot air balloons, the festival offers tethered rides so that people can experience the best view of both Pennsylvania and Maryland.
“Everything seemed so tiny when you were up there, but it was a beautiful view," said Vicki Hall, who flew in her first hot air balloon.
“The views are spectacular because you can see the mountains about a hundred miles into Pa. Then if we get high enough, we can see the bay," said Mark Meyer, the balloon meister for the festival.
Meyer says the weekend-long event continues expanding in popularity as more people take an interest in hot air balloons.
“It’s what you want with anything you start or are a part of, to see it continue to grow, prosper, and make people happy," said Meyer.
The professionals on the fairgrounds are using this weekend to get more people to touch the clouds in Southern York County.
“With ballooning, it’s not really a money-making venture, it’s about the sport and spreading the love of ballooning," said Meyer.