Post by Jonel on Jun 25, 2003 12:35:58 GMT -5
The Temptations Review, featuring Dennis Edwards, serenades an enthusiastic crowd during Friday night's well-attended Balloon Fest concert. On Saturday morning, pilots competed in a ring-grab.
Entertainment Balloons
By Abby Fox, Staff Writer June 22, 2003
The Temptations Review, featuring Dennis Edwards, serenades an enthusiastic crowd during Friday night's well-attended Balloon Fest concert. On Saturday morning, pilots competed in a ring-grab.
The beat and balloons will go on today, starting with a Balloon Fest pilot flight in the morning, and Blues Fest this afternoon.
Performances will include the West Singers at noon, Eden Brent at 2 p.m. and Mavis Staples at 5:30 p.m.
They follow earlier headliners - the Doobie Brothers on Saturday night and Dennis Edwards and the Temptations Review on Friday night.
"The performance of the Temptations was spectacular," Chairman Joe Seawright said Saturday.
"I was thrilled with the diversity of the crowd: lots of black folks, lots of white folks. The crowd was a little bigger than what we usually have on Friday."
He said he expected 8,000 to 10,000 people to see the Doobie Brothers on Saturday night.
The sunny change in weather changed everyone's outlook.
"We've had nice sunshine the past couple of days. I was really worried about it being sogged up, but it dried up pretty well," Seawright said.
Mark Bowie, the balloon chairman in charge of flights and pilots, said that the pilots were disappointed about the Saturday morning wind but hoped Sunday would fare better. "It was good weather Saturday, but it was real windy," he said.
Seven pilots received scores after the morning round on Saturday, with Bowie in first place and Sam Edwards in second. Bowie said he expects over 30 pilots to have another go on Sunday morning. About 40 to 60 pilots are attending this weekend.
But many onlookers have been interested in much more than balloons at Balloon Fest. Crowds gathered at Whittington Park Saturday afternoon for Bike Fest, carnival rides, and a stunt bike show.
Suzanne Courtney from Mobile, Ala., wearing a shirt covered in bright balloons, said she finds Greenwood's Balloon Fest different from any other balloon occasion she usually attends.
"It's real laid back here. And it seems to be a lot more about music than about balloons," she said.
Here's a schedule:
5:30 a.m. - Pilot briefing at pilot tent, GHS launch fie.d
6 a.m. - Competition flight, GHS launch field
10 a.m. - Pilot awards ceremony, VIP tent
11:30 a.m. - Whittington Park opens
12 p.m. - The West Singers, main stage
12:30 p.m. - Steve Cheseborough, main stage
1 p.m. - The Deep Cuts, main stage
2 p.m. - Eden Brent, main stage
2:30 p.m. - DSU Blues Band, main stage
3:30 p.m. - Bobby Rutledge, main stage
4 p.m. - Tab Benoit, main stage
5:30 p.m. - Mavis Staples, main stage
7 p.m. - Whittington Park closes.
Courtesy of The Greenwood Commonwealth
www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=8511943&BRD=1838&PAG=461&dept_id=104621&rfi=6
