See more stunning photos and watch video of the launches

LEWISTON — There was a young boy with a tall, red Mohawk. A grown man rocking fierce animal face-paint. A dog in a backpack. And balloons, 20 of them, each rising into the postcard-perfect sky to cheers during the evening launch.

“We really came to see these two,” said Wayne Seger of Lewiston, pointing to the giant red crab and penguin hot air balloons. He wore a 10-pound Maltese named Charlie on his back. “It’s a lot of fun. You see all the people having a good time.”

The 21st annual Great Falls Balloon Festival had another day of packed crowds and perfect weather on Saturday at Simard-Payne Memorial Park.

Mell Hamlyn, organizing committee treasurer, said the event draws 100,000 to 120,000 people, and as of Saturday night, it was on target to be on the high end.

“Today was a great day,” she said. “It looks like another great day tomorrow.”

Lines were long at the food strip where St. Martins De Porres Residence volunteers sold foot-long hot dogs, Liberty Festival organizers sold taco salads and St. Dom’s High School’s “Mission to Mississippi” project sold clam cakes, shrimp and sweet potato fries.

“Very busy, which is the way we like it,” said seventh- and eighth-grade teacher Lori Rioux.

This April will be the 16th year that St. Dom’s students have traveled to Mississippi in April to help people in need. They were hoping to raise $1,000 with food sales, and she said they might even surpass it.

“One thing’s for certain: This is one of the best weekends I’ve ever seen in the 10 years I’ve been with the rotary,” Phil Nadeau said while working the Lewiston-Auburn Rotary’s deep fryer. “Sales is yet to be seen, but weather, this is outstanding.”

Prior to the much-anticipated 6 p.m. launch, a tethered balloon bobbed up and down from the main field, offering visitors a taste of flight.

Robert Jennings of Portland and Celeste Dolbec of Topsham decided on the spur of the moment to take a ride.

“We’re at a balloon festival, you might as well enjoy the view,” Dolbec said. “It’s just wonderful to see downtown Lewiston and Auburn and the bridges.”

Come launch time, one of the first two balloons struggled to stay upright on the ground, collapsing on its side.

“It’s a little windy right now,” said Christine Ratcliffe from Connecticut, setting up her RE/MAX balloon. “What doesn’t feel windy to us, when you put 1,000 yards of fabric up, it’s pretty strong. It’s a little more challenging but doable.”

Ratcliffe, the crew chief, said the balloon was one of 100 in the RE/MAX fleet. This one flies all over New England. She called it her “weekend fun job.”

“You can’t be around a balloon and not smile,” said Ratcliffe, who has crewed with her husband for 18 years. “I’m doing the chase vehicle to be there when they land because it’s a one-way ticket.”

At one point in the evening, four balloons took up center field in different stages of prep just feet, and sometimes inches, from the crowd, close enough to feel the heat.

Nichole McWilliams of Auburn held her 7-month-old baby, Madison Kelley, up to one.

“I wanted her to touch it because it’s her first one,” McWilliams said. “We try to come every year.”

Seger, with Charlie and his wife, Marcia, are festival regulars, too. The backpack, he said, came from Charlie being difficult. He’ll walk a little bit, then stop and not budge.

“It looks even more ridiculous when you’re carrying a dog and holding the leash,” Seger said. The dog clearly didn’t mind the noise or the crowd.

Besides admiring the balloons, “I came here to eat, too,” he said. Fried dough and sausage dogs were at the top of his menu.

Just then, behind him, Terry and the Telstars took the stage.

“The music, too,” Seger said. “These guys go back to my younger days, playing at the PAL Hop.”

kskelton@sunjournal.com

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