When the weather complied, crowds at this weekend’s 13th annual Great Falls Balloon Festival were treated to majestic scenes of the house-sized craft floating on air.

Specialty balloons – resembling a space shuttle, an American flag and the Statue of Liberty – were joined by 40 traditional balloons.

The three-day event, held in Lewiston and Auburn along the banks of the Androscoggin River, draws thousands. A few lucky people viewed the spectacle from the sky. Each returned safely.

Ken Krieger, pilot of the balloon Gone with the Wind, ended each of his flights with a simple prayer of gentle breezes.

“The wind has welcomed us with softness,” Krieger said.