By JESSE GRAHAM
A HOT AIR balloon festival that drew thousands of visitors to the Yarra Glen Racecourse last month could become a stand-alone event next year, after a ‘terrific’ inaugural year.
The Yarra Valley Balloon Festival (YVBF) kicked off after Cox Plate Day finished on Saturday, 24 October at the racecourse, illuminating the darkened grounds with 13 hot air balloons lighting up on the evening.
Skydiving displays and lanterns were also held at the racecourse, before a fireworks display filled the evening air, as more than 5000 visitors looked on.
In the morning, tethered hot air balloon rides were available for a gold coin donation, and the 13 balloons took to the skies for trips around the valley.
Yarra Valley Racing CEO Brett Shambrook said the event was a plan to test the waters for launching the event independently, citing the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, which attracts more than 100,000 visitors over 10 days.
“When we started with the idea of the balloon festival with Yarra Valley Marketing, we really wanted to dip our toes in the water with a view to seeing if … we could turn it into a bigger event,” Mr Shambrook said.
“It was terrific – it exceeded all of our expectations, to be honest.”
The YVBF featured a photograph competition, where photographers were invited to upload their best photo from the weekend with the hashtag #YVBF15 and the best photos would be chosen for a $500 cash prize.
“It was enormous,” Mr Shambrook said.
“It was like a scene out of Storm Chasers, with the cars driving around the highway, trying to get the best photo.
“I think people came from far and wide to see it.”
The top 30 photos from the event are up on the Yarra Valley Racing Facebook page for a public vote.
Mr Shambrook said that, despite some issues with traffic management – and wind ending the tethered balloon rides early – he was happy with the first event, and now discussions were set to begin for bringing the YVBF back for another year.
“We’ve got to sit down and talk about it with Yarra Valley Marketing – whether it’s involved in a race meeting next year, or if it’s a stand-alone event,” he said.
To vote for the best YVBF photo, visit on.fb.me/1iCey5R (case sensitive).
