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Don't miss the hot air balloon event of the year in Wellington on Easter Sunday when balloons light up the night sky at the Basin Reserve in support of the Skylight charity.

Following the success of the Balloons in Oriental Bay last year, the Lift off Levin Festival of Ballooning is bringing another special event to the heart of Wellington, this time to that national bastion of cricket, the Basin Reserve.

The balloonists will apply more heat than a West Indian bowling lineup to this unique event that will see the ground light up with the choreographed colours of these flying giants, although they remain grounded for the public's viewing pleasure.

Bringing twenty hot air balloons to Wellington's Basin Reserve on Easter Sunday evening 12 April will be a 'first' for the Capital thanks to Denis "Balloonman" Hall, Lift off Levin Balloon Festival's event manager.

It is never easy to get so many hot air balloons in one place at the same time but the proximity of the fifth annual Lift Off Levin event on the same weekend presents this wonderful opportunity. "I have always wanted to share the impressive Night Glow display with my fellow Wellingtonians," says Denis Hall.

The Night Glow begins at dusk, but in the meantime there will be stalls, music and circus entertainment before the balloons light up from about 6pm. The public will be able to take the opportunity to view the balloons close up, take a seat in the stands or lie back on the bank to take in the panorama. There might even be some circus acts performed on the crown lines of the balloons. Two of the balloonists will abseil up to the top of the balloons. There will also be some food stalls and maybe a bouncy castle or two.

For those who haven't seen one, Night Glows are like a gigantic Chinese lantern show and the light show inside the balloons is set to music. Denis Hall has developed a light show concept at his Lift off Levin event that adds electric light choreographed to music to compliment the huge LPG flames that conventionally power and illuminate the balloons.

With a wonderful family atmosphere, this colourful aeronautical extravaganza of balloons will support Skylight - a Wellington based national charity that supports children, young people and their families to deal with incredibly tough times.

Bice Awan, Skylight's Chief Executive says, "There is a great analogy between the lights of the balloons at dusk and the hope that Skylight brings to our young people and their families when they have difficult issues to face. Like the balloons lighting up the night sky so too do we try to provide some light through their darkest of times - a beacon of hope."

Important Information
There will be no EFTPOS and no facility to refund your entry fee if the balloons are prevented from inflating by wind or rain. Thank you for your understanding.

The balloons are 6 stories tall and it is impossible to inflate them in a wind or in rain. If the weather looks bad we will try to cancel early and we will use the radio stations and talk back radio to cancel if we have to on the day. We will try to make this decision by 2 pm Easter Sunday afternoon. Please listen to the community cancellation services.

If the gate has been opened and people are inside the ground and the balloons cannot be inflated we will make a light show with the balloon burners beginning at 6 pm. Don’t be late, the show will be all over by 7.30 pm. We understand that this will not be the same as balloons and we don’t want to disappoint you.

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