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Vendor Registration
The Balloon Rides are all sold out!
Expanded
activities for children and families will add color and excitement to the
Rotary BB&T Hot-Air Balloon Rally this Fourth of July week. For the 13th
consecutive year, Lexington's Sunrise Rotary Club will coordinate an event
that brings thousands of people to the Virginia Military Institute's
Parade Ground for two days of fun, food and festivities.
This year will have pony rides ( 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday and 2 to 9 p.m. on
Saturday) and games and inflatable play sets for youngsters from 5 to 9
p.m. July 3rd and from 2 to 9 p.m. on the Fourth. Barbecue dinners and
live musical entertainment will be available both evenings.
BB&T sponsors the signature activity of the week: the gathering of
colorful hot-air balloons for a rally over the scenic Shenandoah Valley.
Visitors seeking a breathtaking trip may purchase rides for the evenings
of July 3 and 4 or the mornings of July 4 and 5. Launch times are
scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and 6 a.m., but may vary because of weather and
winds. For information and reservations, call 540-460-7606 and speak with
Jan. Tethered
balloon rides for adults and children also will also be available from 5
to 9:30 p.m. on July 3 and July 4.
Throughout the afternoon and evening of July 4, the Parade Ground at VMI
comes alive with continued music and kids' activities, face-painting, an
antique-car display and an amazing array of food and craft vendors. One of
the biggest draws each year is "Eleanore's MarketPlace," (a tag sale of
gently used items) which will open at 9 a.m. July 4 and continue until
about 1 p.m.
Visitors may bring lawn chairs, blankets and picnics to the Parade Ground
to enjoy a beautiful balloon glow at dusk on the third and a spectacular
20-minute fireworks display on the Fourth at about 9:30 p.m. Vendors will
be on hand selling delicious foods of all kinds throughout the festivities
on both days.
Admission to the event is free. A bus shuttle is provided for your
convenience. See the Event Map for directions and the bus shuttle site.
Lexington Sunrise Rotary donates all the proceeds from the event to more
than a dozen area charities, especially ones that help children.
In
addition to the balloon rally, historic Lexington offers many other things
to see and do during July Fourth week, including the VMI Museum, Marshall
Museum, Lee Chapel, the Stonewall Jackson House, the Lee Museum and the
Lime Kiln Theater. The town's annual July Fourth children's bicycle parade
is also a must-see. "
Lexington is at the intersection of Interstate 64 and 81 in Rockbridge
County. For more information and updated schedules for the Balloon Rally,
check at the Visitor Center of Lexington, 540-463-3777, located at 106 E.
Washington St., Lexington, VA 24450, or visit:
www.lexingtonvirginia.com.
View special 4th of July video at http://animoto.com/play/47LhyfshQRrWeGh4uw9eg.
Schedule of Events
FRIDAY, JULY 3 (*Times subject to weather conditions)
5:00-8:00 p.m. Pony Rides
5:00-9:00 p.m. Children’s Field Activities
5:00-9:30 p.m.* Tethered Balloon Rides
5:30
p.m. BBQ Chicken Dinners Available
5:00
p.m. -9:00 p.m. Food and Craft Vendors
6:00
p.m. -8:00 p.m. Live Music -
The
Lexington Brass Quintet
6:30
p.m.* Piloted Balloon Rides
Dusk- Hot Air Balloon Glow
Saturday,
July 4 (*Times subject to weather conditions)
6:00
a.m.* Piloted Balloon Rides
9:00
a.m. -1 p.m. Eleanor’s MarketPlace Tag Sale
10:00
a.m. –Noon Children’s Bike Parade
Noon-10:00 p.m. Food and Craft Vendors
1:00
p.m.-4:00 p.m. Antique Car Show
2:00-9:00 p.m. Pony Rides, Children’s Field Activities
3:30
p.m. -5:30 p.m. Children’s Games
(Sponsored by Rockbridge Area Recreation Department)
4:00
p.m. -8:00 p.m. Fire and Police Department Demonstrations
4:30
p.m.-8:00 p.m. Children’s Craft Activities
5:30
p.m. Barbeque Dinners Available
6:00
p.m. -9:30 p.m. Live Music -The
Lexington Brass Quintet
5:00-9:30 p.m.* Tethered Balloon Rides
6:30 p.m.* Piloted Balloon Rides
9:30
p.m. Fire Works
Sunday,
July 5 (*Times subject to weather conditions)
6:30
a.m.* Piloted Balloon Rides
Piloted Hot-Air Balloon Rides
(Priced at $175 with
reservations)
We will have colorful balloons this
year operated by experienced pilots. Launches
will be made from the VMI Parade Ground at these times (weather
permitting):
July 3: 6:30
p.m.
July 4: 6
a.m. & 6:30 p.m.
July 5: 6:30
a.m.
Click here for
Balloon
Ride Reservations form. (Online
purchasing to be available in a few weeks.)
Click here for
Balloon Ride Waiver form.
 (Click this icon to download
free Adobe Reader to access forms above.)
Tethered hot air balloon rides will also be available on July 3rd and July
4th (reservations not required).
For information about reservations, call Jan at
540-460-7606.
Children's Bike Parade
This has been a
Lexington tradition for over 15 years where kids decorate their bikes and
ride them down the street to the W&L corral. They are treated to
face-painting and watermelon afterwards. The decorating begins at 10 am in
front of the Library on Main Street.
Donations
and Sponsorships
The annual Lexington Balloon Rally and 4th of July
celebration is a fundraiser of the Lexington sunrise Rotary Club to help
in the philanthropic work it does for children in the Rockbridge area.
Recent grants can be seen by clicking the
Projects
Supported menu button at the
top of this page.
A tax deductible donor pledge can be made by e-mail to
sunriserotary@embarqmail.com.
Different sponsorships opportunities are also available.
Sponsorships start at $250. For information about becoming a sponsor
and the benefits of being a sponsor, emails
sunriserotary@embarqmail.com.
Parking
Directional signs will
direct visitors to the event. The map below shows access roads and parking
areas for the Rotary Balloon Rally. On-site parking will be limited. We encourage
use of our bus shuttle or outlying parking facilities.
Buses will run between the Stonewall Square parking lot and the Parade
Ground from 5 pm to 11 pm on July 4.
Event Map |
