MENLO — It has two eyes, no horns, and it’s probably never actually eaten anyone, but Menlo resident John Cavin’s famous hot air balloon is known around the country as The Flying Purple People Eater. The smiling, purple, bug-eyed, six-armed, big-eared creation is certainly the most unusual flying craft to be featured this weekend at the first-ever Northwest Georgia Hot Air Balloon Festival.
Cavin, who’s been flying balloons since he stopped driving race cars 29 years ago, didn’t unleash the purple monster Friday during the festival’s first day, but he said he plans to today and Sunday.
“People love it wherever we go,” he said.
Click here to see a video on the Hot Air Balloon Festival
The festival continues today and Sunday. Balloons are set to fly, depending on wind, about 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
It was Cavin’s idea to bring hot air balloons to Northwest Georgia. He has flown in almost every state in America, Canada, along the border of Mexico and Puerto Rico, and though he had flown his balloon here, his balloon-flying friends had never been airborne anywhere near his hometown.
“I wanted to get 10 of my best buds together and put on a show, and that’s what we’re doing,” he said.
Eleven balloons were brought to Menlo, west of Summerville on Ga. 48, for the event. Three took to the sky Friday as the sun began to set. Others were inflated for a crowd-pleasing “glow,” where lights are shined on the color displays.
Meanwhile, children enjoyed carnival rides, adults browsed a number of vendors, and two youth league baseball teams hit the diamond amid the festivities.
Another pilot, David Harwell of Griffin, flew his multi-colored Blue Flame IV balloon Friday. Harwell says he does about eight festivals like this each year.
The balloons, he explained, cost about $13,000 for the envelope (the colorful part), about $6,000 for the basket, and the fuel used to fly is propane. Harwell, a propane salesman by day, has been flying for almost 28 years and said the biggest event he goes to features 750 balloons.
“It’s really peaceful,” he said. “When I take people up there always surprised by how relaxing it is.”
Cavin said he plans to make the festival an annual event and hopes to have more balloons participate next year.
Click here to view a SnapHappy photo gallery from the Northwest Georgia Hot Air Balloon Festival.
