Michigan Challenge Balloonfest is Underway

The 27th edition of the Michigan Challenge Balloonfest is underway.

The event officially started Friday afternoon and runs until Sunday night, with a majority of the events on the Howell High School campus and some other events taking place in downtown Howell.

The festival is traditionally celebrated around the actual competition that the 47 balloonists engage in, which involves skillfully maneuvering their balloons to drop a marker onto a target, with the closest winning.

Some of the new events this year include the NASA Exploration Experience trailer, B-25 flyovers and plane rides from the Livingston County Spencer J. Hardy Airport, a basketball tournament and a Bob Seger tribute band. The complete list and schedule of events can be found here.

Returning favorites include the carnival rides, the kite stunt team, fireworks, the art festival and of course plenty of balloons. The highlight of the weekend is the balloon glow on Saturday night, when the balloons gather on the launch field and light up after dark, joined by sky divers making a pyrotechnic-laden performance too.

The event is organized by the Howell Area Chamber of Commerce and a multitude of local sponsors.