MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — For this week's Mark at the Park, we're looking ahead to the Ohio Challenge Hot Air Balloon and Skydiving Festival happening at Smith Park in Middletown.
This is the festival's 23rd year, and it keeps getting bigger and better each year.
The event is starting to become less of a secret. Event Director David Pearce, who has been with the festival since the beginning, says they've seen up to 25,000 people attend in recent years.
"We continue to have great success. The crowds continue to turn out for this event, and we get great volunteer and sponsor support, so it makes it easy," Eaton said.
The hot air balloons are the original stars of the show. This year, around 20 balloons will be on hand, including three special-shape balloons. If you're feeling brave, you can take a short flight.
WATCH: WCPO spoke with the event director ahead of the festival this weekend
"We'll have tethered rides where people can go up 30 to 50 feet off the ground just to get the sensation of what (it's) like to go up and down," Eaton said.
Or, you can keep your feet on the ground and watch the balloons start to inflate around 7 p.m. before they launch. They'll then return to the park for the balloon glow around 9 p.m. each night. The balloons stay on the ground and use their burners to light up the sky.
To finish off each night, there will be a pyrotechnics skydive followed by a 350-drone and fireworks show.
"We've got the inflatables that are coming in for the kids; we also have a petting zoo and a pony ride available to them," Eaton said.
The festival runs from July 17 through July 18 this year. Gates open at 5 p.m. Saturday, so the kids will have plenty of time to check out the Kids Zone, inflatables and other fun.
"We've got the inflatables that are coming in for the kids; we also have a petting zoo and a pony ride available to them," Eaton said.
Gates open an hour earlier on Saturday for the start of the car show.
For a full event schedule, prices and parking options, you can visit the Ohio Challenge website.
