Douglas Dispatch
|
|
The Cinco de Mayo Hot Air Balloon Festival, to be held April 30th and May 1st, offers an Artistic Kite Flying Competition on Saturday morning by age group. Registration is free, although entrance to the Festival is $5 for adults and $2 for children 17 and younger. Rules and application forms for entering the artistic contest are available online at www.cochisecountyfair.org, “We would like people to pre-register, just so we don’t take on too many contestants, however, if you really want to fly a kite, just show up on Saturday morning, April 30th and we can register you onsite,” says Karen Strongin, executive director of the Cochise County Fair Association.
The Hot Air Balloons, sponsored by local and county businesses, will take to the air Saturday and Sunday in the early dawn hours when the wind is calm. This first year, the public will not b e able to ride a hot air balloon, “Being so close to the border, this is an international event, we need to really learn the ins and outs of ballooning before we invite the public to ride a balloon. We hope to offer this next year as this event becomes Douglas’ trademark event,” states Strongin.
The Mexican Consulate in Douglas will present a reenactment of the Battle of Puebla on Saturday afternoon. Students from around the city will take part in portraying either the Mexican or French army’s role in this famous battle which is celebrated yearly on the fifth of May. A “Battle of the Bands” will be center stage on Saturday morning after the balloon flights.
The Gadsden Hotel and Best Western Inn and Suites of Douglas are the official sponsoring hotels for the weekend event. For additional information please visit www.cochisecountyfair.org
Comments