25th annual Hudson Valley Hot Air Balloon Festival

From 25th annual Hudson Valley Hot Air Balloon Festival Website:

An annual rite of summer in Dutchess County!

July 10-12, 2015

The Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce will host the 25th Annual Hot-Air Balloon Festival on July 10, 11 and 12, 2015. This event will demonstrate, once again, the tremendous pride the community has in its cities and towns. It has grown and expanded, reflecting the enormous collaboration among leaders, businesses, schools, organizations and residents within our community.

About 100 balloon launches are planned throughout the weekend, utilizing a record 25 balloons. On Friday and Saturday evenings at 6 p.m., mass launches are planned on the banks of the Hudson River from the area just south of Shadows on the Hudson. On Saturday and Sunday mornings at 6 a.m., mass launches are planned from the Dutchess County Airport. There will also be moon-glows planned during the evening hours.

There will be a Balloon Weather Condition Briefing Station/Tent at the center of the festival, where "Balloon Tycoon" Joe Daily of Q92.1 will provide live updates on launch times, weather conditions, interviews with the balloonists and more.
The balloonists will also participate in a competition called Hare and Hound in which one balloon is the hare balloon that takes off first. The other balloons are the hounds, which launch a predetermined time after the hare. The hare lands at a suitable site and lays out a large fabric X, usually about 50 feet in diameter. The hound balloons attempt to drop their markers as close to the center of the X as possible. The closest marker achieves the highest score.