SEPTEMBER 9 UPDATE:
A full slate of winners has been revealed for this year's Great Reno Balloon Race.
Winners have been revealed across three categories, and are listed below.
The Great Reno Balloon Race Competition
- Justin Wilkinson, piloting Cosmic Crisp Apple
- Steve Wilkinson, piloting Lemon Twist
- Eileen Jones, piloting WHATCHAMACALLIT
Nevada State Championship Contest
- Ryan Evans, piloting Aphrodite
- William Vavra, piloting Good Morning Sunshine
- Zoe Swenson, piloting Imagine
The Classic Competition
- Jeff Trzebiatowski, piloting Cloud Couture
SEPTEMBER 7 UPDATE:
The winner has been crowned in this year's Great Reno Balloon Race.
First place went to Justin Wilkinson from La Quinta, California, who was piloting the Cosmic Crisp Apple balloon.
A member of our 2 News Nevada crew was on that balloon on Sunday, and the family of the winner shared the news with them. It was also confirmed through the website Watch Me Fly.
In second place was Justin's father, Steve Wilkinson, who was piloting a lemon balloon. He also won pilot of the day, his family said.
Rounding out the top five were Eileen Jones, Jayson Kimball, and David Dunrud.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
Balloons are back and will color the morning sky at the 43rd annual Great Reno Balloon Race starting Friday morning.
There are multiple events surrounding the nearly 100 hot air balloons participating. One of the most popular requires waking up very early, but it's well worth it to see the Super Glow Show kick off the race.
"That's around 5 a.m. is when that Glow Show is going to start," said Chris Brown, pilot of the Gooberfish hot air balloon. "5:30 should be Dawn Patrol. If you've never experienced a Glow Show or Dawn Patrol, I know it's early, come on down, check it out, it is absolutely magical."
Following Dawn Patrol is the National Anthem and then Mass Ascension, which is when every balloon takes off and searches for their targets. That happens at 7 a.m.
Tethering activities begin at 8 a.m., and throughout the whole event people can also enjoy shopping along balloon boulevard, which is full of all kinds of vendors providing food, drinks, souvenirs, merchandise, and music.
With more than 150,000 people attending the event every year, Brown says to be respectful with parking, especially in nearby neighborhoods, and be aware of traffic changes.
"Leave plenty of time, be patient coming down here," he said. "They are going to have traffic controls set in place on McCarran. I believe it's going to drop to one lane in both directions, probably from about Keystone down to Virginia Street, so be cautious down there. I know it's not stopping out there. They want to keep traffic moving."
Gates open at 3:30 a.m. on Friday, so if you plan on showing up that early, be sure to dress for the weather.
You can view the full event schedule by clicking here.
