Hot air balloons take off Sunday morning from Simard-Payne Memorial Park in Lewiston during the Great Falls Balloon Festival. After four failed launches, balloon pilots were finally given the go-ahead to fly. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

Hot air balloons take off Sunday morning from Simard-Payne Memorial Park in Lewiston during the Great Falls Balloon Festival. After four failed launches, balloon pilots were finally given the go-ahead to fly. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

Hot air balloons take off Sunday morning from Simard-Payne Memorial Park in Lewiston during the Great Falls Balloon Festival. After four failed launches, balloon pilots were finally given the go-ahead to fly. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

Sun Journal Audience Engagement Editor Nina Mahaleris peeks out of the basket of a hot air balloon Sunday morning before launching from Simard Payne Memorial Park in Lewiston during the Great Falls Balloon Festival. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

Hot air balloons take off Sunday morning from Simard-Payne Memorial Park in Lewiston during the Great Falls Balloon Festival. After four failed launches, balloon pilots were finally given the go-ahead to fly. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

Hot air balloons take off Sunday morning from Simard-Payne Memorial Park in Lewiston during the Great Falls Balloon Festival. After four failed launches, balloon pilots were finally given the go-ahead to fly.  Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

A hot air balloon floats through the sky over Lewiston on Sunday morning during the Great Falls Balloon Festival. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

Hot air balloons take off Sunday morning from Simard-Payne Memorial Park in Lewiston during the Great Falls Balloon Festival. After four failed launches, balloon pilots were finally given the go-ahead to fly. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

Hot air balloons take to the sky Sunday morning from Simard-Payne Memorial Park in Lewiston during the first successful launch of the three-day festival. Poor weather conditions cancelled the previous four launches. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

Hot air balloons take to the sky Sunday morning from Simard-Payne Memorial Park in Lewiston during the first successful launch of the three-day festival. Poor weather conditions cancelled the previous four launches. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

A hot air balloon floats Sunday morning over Lewiston after taking off from Simard-Payne Memorial Park in Lewiston during the first successful launch of the three-day festival. Poor weather conditions grounded the previous four attempts. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

Hot air balloons float Sunday morning over Lewiston after taking off from Simard-Payne Memorial Park in Lewiston during the first successful launch of the three-day festival. Poor weather conditions grounded the previous four attempts. (Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal) Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

Hot air balloons float Sunday morning over Lewiston after taking off from Simard-Payne Memorial Park in Lewiston during the first successful launch of the three-day festival. Poor weather conditions grounded the previous four attempts. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

Hot air balloons float Sunday morning over Lewiston after taking off from Simard-Payne Memorial Park in Lewiston during the first successful launch of the three-day festival. Poor weather conditions grounded the previous four attempts. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

A hot air balloon drifts Sunday morning past Lewiston landmarks during the Great Falls Balloon Festival. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

The Scarecrow hot air balloon floats through the sky Sunday morning over Lewiston during the Great Falls Balloon Festival. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

The specialty balloon “Little D” lands Sunday morning in the upper parking lot at Lewiston High School during the Great Falls Balloon Festival. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

Hot air balloons drift Sunday morning over Lewiston landmarks during the Great Falls Balloon Festival. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

Hot air balloons drift Sunday morning over Lewiston landmarks during the Great Falls Balloon Festival. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

The Scarecrow hot air balloon peeks Sunday morning through some trees in Lewiston during the Great Falls Balloon Festival. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

The Scarecrow hot air balloon prepares to lay down Sunday morning in Lewiston during the Great Falls Balloon Festival. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

A hot air balloon floats over a school bus Sunday morning in Lewiston during the Great Falls Balloon Festival. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

The 160 Balloon passes over downtown Lewiston after launching Sunday morning from the Great Falls Balloon Festival. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

The crew and passengers of The 160 Balloon help pack it up after a safe landing Sunday morning in Lewiston during the Great Falls Balloon Festival. Sun Journal Audience Engagement Editor Nina Mahaleris, second from right, took a ride in the balloon. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

Pilot Matt Hurst tells the origin story Sunday morning of the champagne toast traditional to hot air balloon ride landings in the parking lot of Ness Oil Co. on Washington Street in Auburn. Passengers Luke Harvin, far left with the cowboy hat, Sun Journal Audience Engagement Editor Nina Mahaleris, crew member Nicole Stuart and passenger Bill Jones join in the toast. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal