Annual balloon rally starts Friday

Hot air balloons float on the earky morning breeze during the 1998 ballon rally. [Indpendent File Photo]

By Bill Donovan
Staff writer

The crowds and the balloons and crews showed up, but in the end the last flights at the 1998 Red Rock was cacellled because of theweather [Indpendent File Photo]

GALLUP — All eyes in Gallup will be raised to the heavens this weekend as balloonists from all over the United States — and even one from England — converge upon the city for one of the last major balloon rallies of the year.

Weather permitting, the 27th annual Red Rock Balloon Rally promises to once again create excitement, a perfect venue for photo taking and for some lucky Gallupians, a chance to leave the bounds of earth and soar.

Can life get any better than this?

Peter Procopio doesn’t think so. For 27 years, he has been the heart and soul of the rally.

As the only one of the four co-founders who is still here and helping to organize the area volunteers who put on the event each year, he’s the one that people call throughout the year checking on dates and, as the event gets closer, weather conditions.

“There hasn’t been a year when we haven’t gone up at least one day,” he said Tuesday as he was asked about the weather prognosis for this year’s event.

“It’s a little too early to tell,” he said, adding that there has been some talk of the possibility of rain for part of the weekend.

But even a little bad weather hasn’t dampened the enjoyment of balloonists in the past as the Gallup event marks the last time this year many of them will be able to fly their balloons in competition. And even if the weather is bad, the chance to sit around all day and talk balloons — well, that’s priceless.

This year, as usual, the organizers have cut off the applications at 200 entries since that has been the number the group feels it can best handle as a volunteer organization. Any more than that and the organization would have to think about going the route that the Ceremonial went — with a full-time director and staff — and the rally organizers haven’t become that organized or rich to accomplish that.

But if you count the balloons in the sky, the chances are that it will be in the 180 or so range since each year the event loses a dozen or so balloonists because of concerns over weather.

If the weather is cooperative, balloons will be going up Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning, every day from Red Rock State Park and on Friday from the Fox Run Golf Course as well. Lift off each day will be about 7:30 a.m. — look to the east and northeast — and Gallupians can expect to see balloons in the sky from then until about 9 a.m. or 9:30 a.m., depending on the weather.

The annual balloon glow is being held at the park at 6 p.m. Friday and this will include Indian dances and bonfires.
The answer to the most common question — how do I get a chance to go up in a balloon — is a simple one. Volunteer.

Come out Thursday night to the park for the planning, sign up to be a volunteer and you have a chance at getting a ride. How big a chance? No one knows but as Procopio says every year, “You have a lot better chance if you come out and volunteer than if you stay at home.”
The rally never gets enough volunteers, especially for the Friday liftoff, he said.