Recently, the Shropshire town of Telford hosted a ‘Look Up’ event to delight local residents as a socially distanced alternative to its planned third annual Telford Balloon Fiesta.
Already postponed from its original weekend in May, organisers of the Telford Balloon Fiesta decided this month to pivot from a conventional balloon festival event to a majestic open-air display across the skies of Telford.
Over the course of a weekend, residents were encouraged to gather in their gardens to take in the delights of a suite of hot air balloons as they soared overhead, providing a COVID-safe alternative to the planned Telford festival. The ‘Look Up’ event was promoted on social media and residents were encouraged to photograph and post images of the colourful orbs as they passed overhead.
Balloons were scheduled to take to the skies early in the morning and in the evening of the 19th and 20th September, when flight conditions were deemed to be the most favourable. They took off from a series of secret locations that were strategically chosen to enable as many residents as possible to see the balloons from the safety of their homes.
In previous years, thousands of residents have been able to gather at the QEII Arena in the town park to see the balloons disembark, take in local performances, and enjoy the night glow.
