Pea-Nut will float back to Thurston Classic

Fans — you know who you are — who just couldn’t get enough of Pea-Nut the Flying Elephant during the 2013 Thurston Classic Hot Air Balloon Event will have a second chance when the 26th annual salute to the glory of hot air takes to the Father’s Day Weekend skies over Meadville, Pennsylvania, USA.

During last year’s Thurston, which marked her first official festival appearance, the weather, well, rained a bit on Pea-Nut’s parade. However, she made it up often enough to win over the hearts of local fans. Thurston aficionados weren’t the only ones to fall in love with Pea-Nut, however. Before her debut season was over, she captured the most popular balloon award at the 2013 International Balloon Festival in Saint-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, just south of Montreal in Canada’s Quebec province.

The first-ever inverted elephant balloon, Pea-Nut stands on her front feet, waving her hind legs joyfully overhead.

The popular event that fills the Father’s Day Weekend skies over Meadville with more than 30 balloons participating in four scheduled launches is under the direction of Balloonmeister Maury Sullivan, a veteran pilot from Canton, Ohio, who balloons internationally and has flown in all of the 25 Classics.

Celebrating the event’s 26th anniversary, the 2014 Thurston is scheduled for June 12 through 15. As usual, activity will center around Allegheny College’s Robertson Athletic Complex at 195 Park Ave., just north of the Allegheny College campus. The four-day event begins at sundown that Thursday night and ends with a final flight early that Sunday morning.

Pilots and their balloons often arrive a day or two early, so folks on the ground can never be sure what might be spotted drifting overhead. Hot air balloons are most likely to fly during early morning and early evening hours, when conditions are calmest.

Drivers making their way through the area are urged to be especially alert on competition days. Even though local law enforcement officials urge drivers to keep their eyes on the road and off the sky, vehicles do tend to brake — suddenly — when balloons pop into sight. With elephant sightings a distinct possibility, drivers should be especially prepared for quick stops this year.

Travelers are advised to plan ahead. All Thurston Classic events are free and open to the public, but local lodging is booked far in advance for this annual extravaganza.

Visitors planning more than a day trip should be sure to make reservations.

Spectators gathering at Robertson Field are encouraged to bring along blankets and chairs because grassy spots are plentiful but on-site seating is extremely limited.

On-site parking, which is also free, is also limited.

Pea-Nut was the star of the show when she appeared at the 2013 event, as this video shows..

Go with the glow …

The Thurston traditionally kicks off on a Thursday evening with a Night Glow. Beginning around dusk on June 12, a group of approximately eight balloons, including Pea-Nut, will remain tethered to the ground as they inflate, staging a spectacular illuminated display allowing viewers an unprecedented view of the balloons, which tower as much as seven stories above the ground when fully inflated. A local band will perform beginning around 7:30 p.m.

Friday, June 13, is the sponsors’ night to fly. With pilots heading off from Robertson Soccer Field to the destinations of their choice, the Sponsor’s Flight offers opportunities for sightings from multiple locations.

The Classic is organized by a committee comprised of about dozen volunteers who coordinate countless more volunteers from throughout the greater Meadville community and beyond.

Funding comes from event sponsors, from donations collected during the flights by hopeful-looking volunteers circulating through the crowd with buckets, and through the sale of official souvenirs at Robertson Field and downtown Meadville’s historic Market House.

Donations may also be mailed to the Thurston Classic Committee in care of Watts & Pepicelli PC, 916 Diamond Park, Meadville, Pa. 16335.

For up-to-the-minute information about the classic and all its participants, visit thurstonclassic.com.

via – Meadville Tribune.