User:Bsnider1

Overview
The Michigan Challenge Balloonfest is a annual hot air balloon festival held in Howell, MI during the last weekend of June. The event draws crowds from all over Michigan and its surrounding states with attendance usually topping 100,000 over the three day weekend. Howell hosts 3 major events annually, including the Fantasy of Lights, a Christmas themed festival held the weekend after Thanksgiving, and the Howell Melonfest, a festival celebrating the harvest of Howell Melons, a unique fruit only available in Howell and the surrounding areas. The Balloonfest is the most anticipated event of the three and fetches the largest crowds. Hosted by the Howell Area Chamber of Commerce, and Balloonfest Director Michelle Tokan, the festival is a point of pride for the residents of Howell.

Annual Attractions
The festival starts each year on friday afternoon with the opening of the carnival. Being right on Grand River, the lights make a dazzling spectacle for anyone driving through the downtown area every night. Friday night also features a fireworks display, as of the 2009 festival, sponsored by MediLodge of Howell. The Arts Festival held next to the Howell High School main campus goes on for the entire weekend as long as the Balloonfest is running and attracts a large variety of vendors selling anything from crafts to hand painted artwork. Saturday morning the day starts early with the balloon fly-in. In downtown Howell, the Saint Joseph Mercy Hospital kids day, held on the lawn of the historical Howell Courthouse, features demonstrations such as karate and dancing to encourage kids to stay active. One of the favorite events of the festival is held late on saturday night each year, the balloon glow. After the evening launch, the pilots all come back to the launch field andreinflate their balloons, then led by a countdown, they all light their torches together and the crowd is treated to all the balloons glowing together on the field.

Annual Launches
There are several mass balloon launches scheduled each year. Many years there are some cancelled due to incliment weather such as rain or heavy wind. Friday night the balloons all launch from the Howell High School Freshman Campus main launch field. On saturday morning, the pilots have to fly back in to the same field and try to drop a marker onto a large target that has been placed where they would normally take off. That evening holds another mass launch followed by the Balloon Glow. Sunday morning holds an early mass launch which many Howell natives enjoy waking up to.

Sponsors
The sponsor list changes up every year but the big players tend to stick around. The festival provides great exposure and a sense of community not found with many other forms of advertising. The main sponsor for 2010 is PNC Bank. Other sponsors include Waste Management who provide all sanitation services for the weekend, MediLodge of Howell who sponsors the fireworks and hosts the VIP party for pilots and sponsors, Pepsi is the beverage sponsor, and Howell Public Schools, Tanger Outlet Centers , and Citizens Insurance are also major contributors.