27h Annual
Temecula Valley
Balloon & Wine Festival
June 4-6, 2010
PRESS RELEASE
AGENCY CONTACT: Melody Brunsting, Melody’s Ad Works In.
(951) 252-5649, melsads @aol.com
EVENT CONTACT: Carol Popejoy, (951) 676-6713
BIRD’S EYE VIEW IS
THIS BUSINESSMAN’S DAILY ROUTINE
For immediate release: May 6, 2010
TEMECULA, CA - Every day he can, Rusty Manning, owner of A Grape Escape Balloon Adventure in Temecula gently glides through azure skies and over rolling hills filled with furtive green vineyards, in a magical flight. Manning pilots one of the ten hot air balloons his company owns and flies in the Temecula Valley.
A volunteer at the Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival since 1989, Manning has watched from the sky as Southern California Wine Country changed, grew and developed.
“There is three times the number of people here than when I first started my company. There is also less open space. The positive, however, is the tourism industry and growth in the number of visitors we see annually,” stated Manning.
Manning has been responsible for some of those visitors, often flying celebrities and news journalists. In 2008 Manning flew Gerard Butler and Katherine Heigl during the filming of the movie “The Ugly Truth.” Other notable passengers include William Shatner, Gayle Anderson of KTLA News, Chuck Henry from NBC-Los Angeles, and Ruben Galvan of San Diego’s News 6 team. Manning has had sky divers jump from the balloon while he flew and has witnessed wedding proposals and anniversaries on a regular basis.
One of the biggest tasks, however, is organizing the flights for the Balloon and Wine Festival June 4-6, 2010. Manning’s company handles the balloon flights at the event and the evening balloon glows.
A once-in-a-lifetime experience, Festival guests can fly out of the Festival grounds, float over vineyards and gently land in a remote field during their 45-60 minute flight weather permitting. Balloon flights usually sell out in advance. The cost is $200 per person and includes same day Festival admission, chilled champagne, orange juice, and a first flight certificate.
Hot air balloons require several things for a successful flight: cool air, fog-free skies, and calm wind, and usually a pilot with a good sense of humor. High winds, thick marine layers and 90-degree temperatures are a balloonist’s enemy.
Spectators new to the sport are often surprised by the lack of balloons in the afternoon at the Festival. Hot air balloons simply can’t flight in high temperatures. It is difficult and dangerous to even keep them inflated on a Temecula afternoon. Remember your science lessons? “Hot air rises.” How can a hot air balloon rise, when the outside air temperature is higher than inside the balloon?
That’s why the Festival always advises photographers to be on the Festival grounds by 6 a.m. for the morning launches.
The Festival has developed ways for guests to learn about hot air balloons and get a taste of their beauty throughout the weekend. There is a balloon exhibit on the grounds (no canopy inflation) throughout the day. Free tethered rides are offered Saturday and Sunday morning immediately after the mass dawn launch. The rides continue until approximately 9:30 a.m. or as long as the weather conditions permit.
The evening balloon glow helps spread the ballooning experience throughout the day. A balloon glow is created by tethering several hot air balloons to the ground. As the evening skies spread a veil of velvet black across the Festival grounds, balloon pilots ignite the burners of their balloons. This produces a luminescent glow of the colorful balloon canopies. Temecula’s pilots synchronize the “burn” to selected popular tunes and to the crowd’s pleas to “glow.”
“It’s one of the most magical and popular parts of our Festival,” stated Carol Popejoy executive director of the annual event. Popejoy has guided the Festival through 13 years of hot air balloons, wine tasting and major concerts.
Make balloon reservations early at 1-800-965-2122. For more information visit www.tvbwf.com or call the Festival office at (951) 676-6713.
Additional info at:
· Lake Skinner information: www.riversidecountyparks.org/
· Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival: www.tvbwf.com
· Temecula Wine Country: www.temeculawines.org
· Temecula hotels www.temeculacvb.org
· Temecula events www.temeculacalifornia.com
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41755 Rider Way s Temecula, California 92590 s (951) 676-6713 s (951) 676-5921 Fax