The promised glorious hot air balloons, live entertainment and delicious food all added to the thrill of ZURU Nightglow event at Hamilton’s Claudelands Oval yesterday (22 March) evening.
An estimated 30,000 event-goers -including children, experienced magical moments and were largely mesmirised as they enjoyed Hamilton’s most spectacular, much-awaited night out.
As in previous years, the much-loved event included balloon-centric light and sound display, live entertainment,games, carnival rides, and food trucks/vendors serving delicious food to suit various taste-buds.
The highlight of the night, of course, was the glorious orchestrated hot air balloon glow, that lit up the night sky, followed by SkyCity Hamilton’s fireworks extravaganza.
Alongside a fleet of local and national balloons with vibrant designs, Ms. Autumn and Owlbert Eyenstein -showcased in Hamilton for the first time, were the centre of attention at the event and created magical moments for event-goers.
Ms. Autumn – crafted in 1994 is part of a rare series of balloons representing the seasons, is owned and piloted by Colin and Brittany of Endeavor Ball.
Owlbert Eyenstein – a “towering owl”, charmed the spectators with its design and sheer size of 30.5 meters in height. The balloon is owned and piloted by Gary Moore, a commercial pilot who has flown in 24 countries.
Unlike previous years, the Balloons Over Waikato festival’s grand finale event ticketed entry was not on a first-come, first-served basis.
People are asked to pre-register via the event’s website between February 4 and 24, with ticket recipients being drawn and notified on three separate dates. This was to ensure everyone had an equal chance to enjoy the spectacular show.
Free buses were available between 5.00pm and 7.00pm from the Park and Ride sites and special event bus stops along the routes.
