Balloons over the Mississippi, playing the piano, reading, crosswords, CARS (Fast ones), Going to the races at the local dirt track, socializing, voluteer work in the community with different events. Camping and fishing if I ever get the chance.
Nannette's Details
Status:
Married
Here for:
Networking, Friends
Zodiac Sign:
Virgo
Nannette Looking forward to 2010. Posted at 1:18 AM Nov 25 view more
About me: Thank you for checking out this site on myspace. This site is not about me. It is dedicated to promoting an annual event my husband Clark and I work year round to achieve. We put our heart and soul into providing a Family Event with FREE Admission for Southeast Iowa. With eight other committee members and many volunteers helping us, we believe that this is a Premier Destination Event for our community. We receive nothing in return, only the satisfaction of see 7000 plus people enjoying themselves.
BALLOONS over the MISSISSIPPI
JULY 17TH & 18TH, 2009
FORT MADISON, IA
The 7th Annual Balloons over the Mississippi will be held July 17 and 18 at Scenic Drive on Airport Road in Fort Madison, IA. Now the largest hot air balloon festival in SE Iowa, 20 balloonists from the Tri-State area will be participating. This year’s event will include several new activities to keep you entertained all weekend long.
Because the balloons cannot fly during the day, we have planned much for the family to enjoy. The second leg of the BBQ Cook-off Tour will be held for the first time during the festival on Saturday July 18. Five dollars for adults gets you all the scrumptious BBQ you can eat. Tasting begins at 12:30pm and last until 3:30pm rain or shine. Children get in free. Smokin’ Mojo Kings will entertain the crowd with Blues from Highway 61 from 12:30pm until 3:30pm. Around 4:30pm, the winners of the BBQ Cook-off Tour will be announced in each of the four categories along with the highly anticipated People’s Choice Award.
While you lick the BBQ Sauce off your fingers, look skyward and watch the daredevils jump out of a perfectly good airplane. For the first time this year, Sky Dive of Iowa will be at the festival Saturday July 18 to sell Tandem Skydive Jumps. Jumps begin around 9:00am (weather permitting). Space is limited, so anyone interested in a Tandem Jump should call Nannette Griffin at 319-470-3922 to preregister and get more information. Back by popular demand will be the inflatables provided by Midwest Inflatables. The list of inflatables includes something for all children 3 years old and up.
This year’s event kicks off on Friday July 17 with gates opening at 4:00pm. In the Beer Tent, Blue Sky Bob featuring Bob Saar will perform from 4:30pm to 6:00pm with a mass Hot Air Balloon launch between 6:00pm and 6:30pm (weather permitting). After the launch the Wild Wild West Band takes the stage in the Beer Tent and will perform until 10:30pm. Around 8:30pm the Hot Air Balloon Glow sponsored by River City Retail is scheduled to take place and last for about 45 minutes.
The fun begins early on Saturday morning with a Hot Air Balloon Fly-In from 6:30am until 8:30am (weather permitting). The target is set up on the soccer field next to Scenic Drive. This is the most interesting flight since the pilots must choose a launch site at least a mile away that will give them the correct wind direction to make it to the target. Once they are close enough to the target, they will toss a bean bag from their basket and try and score the closest to the center. At 9:00am the Tandem Skydive Jumps will start at the airport. Back in the Beer Tent the BBQ Cook-off Tour begins at 12:30pm with the Smokin Mojo Kings playing until 3:30pm. At 4:00pm the band Livid takes the stage until 6:00pm. Winners from the BBQ Tour will be announced at 4:30pm. A mass Hot Air Balloon launch will take place between 6:00pm and 6:30pm (weather permitting). Returning this year from Ottumwa, IA the band She Swings She Sways will take the stage in the Beer Tent after the launch and play until closing. Around 8:30pm the Hot Air Balloon Glow sponsored by MidwestOne Bank is scheduled to take place. Fort Madison’s FIRST Fireworks display of the 2009 summer season provided by J&M Displays of Yarmouth, IA will take place immediately after Saturday nights glow.
Both days will feature Inflatables, Food and Craft Vendors, live entertainment and of course Hot Air Balloons. FREE parking will be available at Rodeo Arena parking lot with a FREE shuttle to bring you to the gates. Admission is FREE, so bring your lawn chairs and come out to enjoy the good food, great entertainment and the best family event Fort Madison has to offer. No carry in coolers will be allowed. Please remember that all ballooning activities are weather permitting and times are determined by Mother Nature. For more information, call 319-372-5472, 319-470-3922 or log on to www.visitfortmadison.com
20 Balloons for 2009
NEW for 2009 TANDEM SKYDIVING!!!
Call 319-470-3922 to preregister for you're jump on Sat. July 18th
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BBQ COOKOFF CONTEST 7/18/09 starting at 12:30pm
$5.00 gets you all the BBQ you can eat.
Win a chance to take a Hot air Balloon ride. Tickets on sell now. Call 319-470-3922 for more information. If keeping you feet on the ground is more your style, tickets are on sell for other great prizes donated by local businesses. All proceeds go to the Balloons over the Mississippi to keep admission to the event FREE!!!
2008 News Story
The 6th Annual Balloons over the Mississippi proved to be quite an unique event with all the up and downs, just like a hot air balloon pilot trying to find the perfect altitude to steer their aircraft in the correct direction to hit the target.
Mother Nature was not kind Friday evening as she blew in too strong for the pilots to fly. She had not let up by Saturday morning and by afternoon she was angry. Finally by Saturday evening, she calmed down to allow a show like no one has seen before. There was a collage of activity with one thing in common, HOT AIR BALLOONS. Instead of a mass launch, the target was set up on the field for a fly-in. For the first time, the evening spectators witnessed the maneuvering skills of the pilots as they crested the tree line on the west side of the field in hopes of tossing their bean bag on the target. As each pilot floated over, the crowd clapped and cheered. A special applause was given to the third place finisher Al Reusch from Macomb, IL, the pilot of Knot Again, as his basket held two 80’ish year young ladies on their first ever flight. One says she can cross another item off her bucket list. As tradition would have it, they flew over the Mighty Mississippi for a nineteen mile journey.
The romantic fever of hot air balloons floating by caught on for Rick Provost as he bent down on one knee with microphone in hand and proposed to Nicole Witek. Both Steve and Nicole are from Kissimmee, FL. While on a job interview in Moline, IL, Steve happened to see a listing for the Balloons over the Mississippi on the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce website. This only added to the goose bumps almost everyone had as the excitement grew and the evening cooled.
As dusk drew near, the crowd expanded to the single largest viewing audience yet to attend. The time had arrived for the ever popular night glow which lasted almost an hour and a half, twice as long as usual. With the baskets lined up in a row, the emcee Balloonmeister Bob Corey from Louisville, KY entertained young and old with commands for an All Glow, Wave, and Flicker Burn. There was a first time ever request for a Skip-Wave from a youngster in the crowd. She asked the pilots to light every other balloon going down the row. Ever eager to please, the pilots delivered on cue.
The evening was turning out to be so perfect that Father Moon came out from behind the clouds to enjoy the show. The much anticipated Firework Finale, which tripled in size from last year, completed yet another “Balloons over the Mississippi".
PLEASE ENJOY THE FOLLOWING SLIDE SHOW FROM 7-12-2008
We'll be in your neck of the midwest tomorrow night. Cool Disposition will be at Blues On Grand in Des Moines Sat. March 21 for our Iowa CD Release of "Jumping In The Mudd"
Tom Hyslop of Blues Revue says -
"With Jumping In The Mudd, Cool Disposition solidify their position as Minnesota’s premier blues band... You will find no blues-rock here, and take my word for it: You won’t miss it... Jumping In The Mudd contains nothing but the blues and blues-related music, with shuffles in several varieties, Latin blues rhythms, R&B ballads, jump blues, rootsy rockers, and a splash of soul. The band makes a compelling case for the continuing vitality of these classic styles in every song"
We sincerely appreicate the request to be be part of your celebration. However, it is a bit out of our playing area, as the rest of the band only wants to travel, at most, about an hour away. But, thanks for the request.
I wish I could have made it. I was busy moving apliances and cleaning my apartment. I had to switch refrigerators and washers and get one of my extra stoves out of storage. It was a long day.
I would have much rather been up there taking it easy. I have been spending every minute trying to get this apartment ready so I can move.
I had to have it cleaned and ready for the exterminator to come on Tuesday to spray for bugs before I move in. It was a busy weekend and I'm still not done cleaning and ready to move in to it. But, they came yesterday and sprayed for bugs, so hopefuly it's bug free for a while. I HATE moving let alone moving from my house to an apartment. It's pretty depressing!
If I still have a business next year I will try to be a sponsor again. I missed it, just didn't have any spare time at all this past weekend.
How was the vacation? I am still trying to be a sponsor if it's at all possible. It might be too late for this year, but I am trying. I still would like to crew if I can.
Nannette, thanks for adding the Jessica Horn Band. We're coming to Ft. Madison this month, so I was just checking out the town. We'd love to be a part of your balloon event, too, if you're looking for any bands. Maybe we'll see you on the 29th- and Happy Valentine's Day! Jess
