Great Forest Park Balloon Race
Great Forest Park Balloon Race | |
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St. Louis, Missouri | |
Years active | 50 |
Participants | 70 |
Attendance | 130,000 |
Website | http://www.greatforestparkballoonrace.com |
The Great Forest Park Balloon Race is an annual
History
The first race was launched by Nikki Caplan and John O'Toole in December 1973 at a gathering of six balloons and twenty spectators.[3] In 1977, organization of the race passed from Caplan and O'Toole to a group of four novice balloonists who continue to coordinate the event today. These men are John Marlow, John Schaumburg, Ted Staley, and Dan Schettler, who formed a ballooning group known as the Mississippi River Balloon Transit Company. This company now is the host of the largest and most well attended balloon race.[2][4] On May 23, 2000, the race was honored by the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress as a local legacy after a nomination by then-Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives Dick Gephardt.[2][3] So now, the Great Forest Park Balloon Race is forever documented through photographs, advertisements, media, and pilot rewards.[5]
No race was held in 2020.
Current status
On the day before the race, the
References
- ^ "GFPBR St. Louis – Great Forest Park Balloon Race". Retrieved 2023-09-14.
- ^ a b c Great Forest Park Balloon Race: History Archived 2011-09-27 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ a b c Library of Congress: Balloon Race.
- ^ Mississippi River Balloon Transit. "Great Forest Park Balloon Race". Retrieved 2011-09-28.
- ^ Mississippi River Balloon Transit Company. "History of the Race". Archived from the original on 2011-09-27. Retrieved 2011-09-29.
- ^ Great Forest Park Balloon Race: Schedule Archived 2011-10-02 at the Wayback Machine.[unreliable source?]
- ^ a b Moore, Betty (September 19, 2009). "Great Forest Park Balloon Race - Energizer Bunny Birthday Celebration Takes the Cake". St. Louis Front Page. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
- ^ Mississippi RIver Balloon Transit Company. "Race Schedule". Archived from the original on 2011-10-02. Retrieved 2011-09-29.