Press Release for Lift Off Levin

YES! The Lift off Levin Organising Committee is delighted to announce at last, that the Levin Hot Air Balloon Festival is definitely on at Easter, thanks to vital assistance from the Horowhenua Community Trust and the Horowhenua District Council. This is a signature event for the Horowhenua and a lot of effort is put in to bringing it to fruition.

The main feature will be a FREE Night Glow at the Levin Show Grounds on Easter Saturday evening.  The event will open with some flights and a tethered balloon at the Village green in Levin on Thursday the 1^st of April. Ballooning competitions will begin at 7 am on Friday 2nd of April with a “Mass Ascension” from the New World and Levin Mall car parks.  Competition flying events will be held each morning of the Easter weekend.  Each of the morning events will begin with a briefing at 6.30 am and a launch at around 7 am. On Saturday morning there will be a flying event that will involve a target set at the Horowhenua Lake Domain and the public are urged to be there before 7.30 am to see the balloons fly in to the target. This is very exciting as the balloonists jockey with each other in an amazing low-level airborne display to gain important points. Sunday morning there will be flying competitions centred on Donnelly Park in Levin at 7.30 am and the Monday event will be decided depending on weather and the success of the preceding ones. Every day that weather permits the Balloons will fly again from 4 pm to dusk but these will be “fun flights” rather than competitions. A special new feature of the Night Glow will be a mass launch of flying Chinese lanterns and they will be released as the finale to the event.  It is important for the uninitiated to know that all ballooning is done in the early morning and the late afternoon just before dusk.  The Show Grounds will open at 3.30 pm for the Night Glow and the balloons will begin the Night Glow just after sunset. The event will be all over by 8.30 pm.

Remember, this is a free, community event so come along and enjoy the spectacle. No dogs or alcohol please.

More FM will provide information/cancellations on the day or check www.liftofflevin.org.nz for updates.