#GFBALLOONFEST

The Sun Journal is covering the Great Falls Balloon Festival with:

• Livestream video of the 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. launches Friday, Saturday and Sunday at SunJournal.com (Network connectivity provided by First Light)
• Facebook Live video and photos from festival at Facebook.com/SunJournal
• Stories, photos and videos at SunJournal.com/BalloonFest
• Status updates at SunJournal.com/BalloonFest, Facebook.com/SunJournal and Twitter.com/SunJournal

LEWISTON — The smell of fried dough, french fries, and pizza permeated the air Saturday evening as balloons, their passengers and crew prepared to launch at 6 p.m. 

Because of the postponed and ultimately canceled morning launch, guests were nervous about the evening. 

After a brief wind scare, the balloons took off one by one, soaring off across the river. 

Five balloons took off from the Androscoggin Bank Colisee and eight from Simard-Payne Memorial Park, the epicenter of the Great Falls Balloon Festival. 

The balloons were slightly overbooked by then due to the canceled morning rides, but almost everyone was able to get in their balloon ride. 

Staff member Nathan Sessions said that the morning hadn’t been too crowded but the two hours before the evening launch was crazy — “good crazy.”

The launch itself went off without any problems, but one of the balloons had a rough landing. According to Auburn Deputy Police Chief Jason Moen, a passenger received a minor injury but did not have to to be transported. 

Once the sun began to set, the special cartoon balloons started inflating for the moon glow, where balloons stay on the ground but light up the sky with their fire. 

TomCat, Terry the Mouse and Pea-nut the Elephant had the attention of the whole crowd while they were all inflated. 

Keith and Amanda Stettler were having a lot of fun with their two daughters, Ella and Eva. 

Keith said they’d been there since the afternoon and were enjoying it. They’re from Pennsylvania but had traveled here to see family.

“This is the third year we’ve come to the balloon festival,” he said. 

Ella, 6, said her favorite part was the face-painting; Eva, 10, said hers was the trampoline. 

Pilot Mark Fritze lifts off from Simard-Payne Memorial Park in Freedom Flyer as Bill Whidden inflates Great Balls of Fire during the Great Falls Balloon Festival Saturday evening in Lewiston. 

Boaters paddle along the Androscoggin River as the hot air balloons Serendipity and RE/MAX get ready to lift off at Simard-Payne Memorial Park in Lewiston on Saturday evening. 

The RE/MAX balloon floats over the Longley Bridge during the Great Falls Balloon Festival on Saturday evening.