Ladybug! Ladybug! Fly away ...

Ladybug! Ladybug! Fly away ...

Mike Hernandez’s ladybug balloon will be in Mancos for the festival.

Ladybug! Ladybug! Fly away ...

Mike Hernandez’s ladybug balloon will be in Mancos for the festival.
Mancos Balloon fest schedule

Mancos Valley/Mesa Verde Country Balloon and Art Festival pilots will fire up their balloons for their first flight at 7 a.m. Friday, Sept. 23. There will be tethered rides available after the launch, weather permitting. Pilots will repeat their launches at 7 a.m. that Saturday and Sunday. Look for the colorful balloons in the skies over Mancos. About 20 pilots are coming to Mancos to participate in the balloon festival this year.
On Friday, the Columbine will have seafood tacos from 4 to 8 p.m. and the balloon glow will be in Boyle Park at 7:15 p.m.
On Saturday, Sept. 24, the art festival will begin at 10 a.m. and go on until 4 p.m. all along Grand Avenue. There will be art vendors, live entertainment and carriage rides.
The Fiesta Dinner will be that evening at the Mancos Opera House, 136 Grand Ave. Advance tickets are available at the Bauer House and the Mancos visitors center. The dinner begins at 7 p.m. and cocktails are at 6 p.m. There is a silent auction, live entertainment and dancing for $20 per person. Reservations are required by Sept. 20.
On Sunday, Sept. 25, there will be carriage rides and children’s train rides all day. That evening, Arborena will host food and wine pairings at 5 p.m. Another balloon glow can be seen at Boyle Park at 7:15 p.m.
All proceeds from the balloon festival will go to the NEST: A Child Advocacy Center.