SAFFORD — Residents can get a sneak peek at the last big event of 2024, and the first big event of 2025.
Gila Valley New Year’s Balloon Extravaganza takes place Dec. 29-31 and Jan. 1, but a few balloons may fly the day before the event starts.
“We have pilots that are excited, they’re ready to come out and they’re coming down a day early, so, hopefully, on Saturday, we’ll have six or seven balloons flying,” said Greg Lindsey with AZ Air Ventures.
Volunteers are needed to crew at the preview, as well as during the event. Crewing involves getting the balloons ready to fly, chasing the balloons and then packing them up after landing. Volunteer crew members also have a chance at flying when there is extra room in the basket.
All flying is dependent on the weather.
Twenty pilots will be attending, with balloons coming from six states — Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Idaho, Utah, Indiana — in addition to Arizona. Volunteers will park in the Ruth Powell School parking lot at 6:45 a.m. each day, and then meet the pilots in the lot behind the school to get the balloons ready for take-off at about 7:30 a.m.
– David Bell Photo/Gila Valley Central
Two nighttime events will take place Monday, Dec. 30, and Tuesday, Dec. 31.
On Monday, the pilots will gather for a glow in the parking lot of Home Depot starting at 6 p.m. A glow is where the pilots light the burners without a balloon overhead.
The second evening event, on Tuesday starting at 5:30 p.m., is a super glow and free tether rides for children at Safford Middle School. A tether ride is when the balloon is tethered to the ground and allowed to lift off a few feet in the air before returning to the ground. A second glow will follow.
Sponsors for the Gila Valley New Year’s Balloon Extravaganza include Advanced Air, America’s Mattress, Barney Trucking, Boulevard Glass, City of Safford, Comfort inn Thatcher, Copper Hills Dental, Desert Bloom Dentistry, Edward Jones Tyson Richins, Gila Valley Embroidery, Goodman Ag, Graham County Board of Supervisors, Griffin Propane, Home Depot, Ice King, Kempton Chevrolet, Matlock Gas, Relax Tax and Accounting Service, Sparklight, Sundt Construction, Tom and Tracy Pursley Realtors Tierra Antigua, Tri-County Materials, The United Way of Graham and Greenlee Counties, Vining Funeral Home and Vista Recycling.
All sponsors get a free balloon ride.
