As we look to the skies for fireworks displays, we wanted to look back on the days when Greenville’s Independence Day skies were dotted with hot air balloons for Freedom Weekend Aloft. Launched in 1982, the festival quickly became one of the nation’s biggest balloon events before shutting down, for good, in 2014.
Your stories — from family memories to emergency landings — remind us just how legendary it was.
A founding family
“My father, Doug Smith, was one of the organizers, and it was his idea to bring this to the Upstate,” GVLtoday reader April L. tells us. “He had been to the balloon festival in Albuquerque, and thought, ‘Why not Greenville?’”
Special-shaped balloons
“Having the hot air balloons fly across town was such a delight,” reader Kathy C. recalled. “Especially fun were the special-shaped balloons — like Noah’s Ark — that flew with such awe and joy.”
Emergency landing
“A balloon had to make an emergency landing and saw that we had enough of a clearing, so they landed in our front yard,” reader Lauren P., who was in about second grade, remembered from the early 1990s. “ Everyone was okay, thankfully, and they taught me all about how the balloon worked. They even staked it to the ground to let my parents and me take a ‘ride’ in it. I felt like a celebrity in our own yard!”
Welcome to Greenville
“In 1990, my husband, 5-year-old son, and I had just moved to Greenville from Greensboro, NC. Like most people, I was ambivalent about the move. We were coming home from dinner when one of the balloons started flying low, anticipating landing. It flew alongside our car, so we decided to follow it to its landing spot. After it landed, we got out to take a closer look. Somehow, the balloon landing helped me make peace with living here. Now I can’t imagine living anywhere else.” — Karen P.
More reader remarks
When we asked you about Freedom Weekend Aloft, our inbox filled up with calls to “bring it back!”
- “We were so sad when Freedom Weekend Aloft left Greenville. We took our first child to the very first one — it was so amazing.” — Terry H.
- “It was exciting to see all of the balloons. Music was good, I saw the Commodores one year.” — Linda R.
- “We moved here in 1996. We l-o-v-e-d the Balloon Rally!” — Patty B.
- “One of my favorite events. So sad it is gone.” — Dana E.
Share your own memories and photos with us, and let us know below if you wish this event would make a return.
