Yampa Valley Balloon Rodeo set for takeoff this weekend

Aug 22, 2023

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The Yampa Valley Balloon Rodeo will return to Steamboat for its 42nd year this weekend, welcoming balloons and pilots from around the country.

Running July 28-30, balloons are scheduled to take off from Bald Eagle Lake at 6 a.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Twenty-four balloons are expected to launch Friday morning, with 29 balloons scheduled to participate on Saturday and 28 balloons taking to the skies on Sunday.

While spectators will not be permitted to view the balloons from the lake, there are plenty of alternate locations in the area, such as along nearby River Road.

Organizer Karen Beauvais, who helped plan this year’s event alongside Scott Flower, suggested that spectators do their best to gain elevation for the best viewing experience.

The balloons will float across town, followed by teams to help once they land. While most pilots intend to land on the other end of town to avoid power lines, the balloons are largely under the control of the winds, which forces pilots to be attentive to conditions on launch day.

Beauvais mentioned that one of her favorite parts of the rodeo is seeing where all the balloons end up going.

In addition to the balloon launches Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings, Balloon Rodeo weekend will include the Yampa Valley Balloon Glow on Saturday from 8-9 p.m. Balloons will glow in a variety of locations throughout the mountain village, downtown and the surrounding area. Beauvais said there is still time for businesses or individuals to contact her at 970-846-8814 if they would like a balloon to glow at a specific location.

Each participating balloon is privately owned and bears a unique design. Five balloons launching this weekend — Big Top, Western Spirit, Captain Boo, Carousel and Amadeus — have been hand-painted by a Minnesota artist, Charles Markert of Sky High Art, and are one-of-a-kind.

The Western Spirit is highlighted on this year’s promotional poster for the event. Originally painted as a watercolor by local artist Jan Spencer in 2021, it was selected to highlight the festival because it embraces the spirit of the Yampa Valley.

Spencer moved to Steamboat in 1979 after growing up on a farm in Platt, Kansas. A childhood of living around horses and cattle has been the inspiration for many of her works. Spencer has taught art classes over the years at Colorado Mountain College and paints in mediums of oil and watercolor.

Watching the Western Spirit in 2020, Spencer was inspired to paint a watercolor depicting it in the Yampa Valley. In the painting, she highlights Bald Eagle Lake, the launching point for this year’s balloon festival.

Copies of the poster can be purchased at Lyon Drug on Lincoln Avenue.

For more information: SteamboatChamber.com/event/yampa-valley-balloon-rodeo/7659/.

The Smokey Bear Balloon, a reminder of human-caused wildfire prevention, will be among the nearly 30 balloons launching in Steamboat Springs this weekend.

According to the U.S. Forest Service, the Smokey Bear Balloon will take part in morning ballon launches from Bald Eagle Lake and also participate in the Saturday night Balloon Glow from the City Market parking lot.

The balloon is 100 feet tall and 75 feet wide. While spectators are not permitted at the morning launch site, employees will be staffing a booth at City Market on Saturday evening with fire prevention information and activities for kids. Smokey himself may also make an appearance.

For more information about fire prevention, call Kristen Thomason at 307-399-7862 or go to FS.USDA.gov/main/mbr/home.

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The Yampa Valley Balloon Rodeo will return this year, with approximately 30 balloons expected to fill the skies above Steamboat and the surrounding area. Readers around Steamboat and Routt County make the Steamboat Pilot & Today’s work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.

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