Colorful hot air balloons will fill the sky above Centennial Parkway in Sandy today and Saturday as part of the city's first-ever balloon festival.

The public is invited to come out to the park at sunrise both mornings to watch as 15 balloonists bring their balloons to life. It takes about 30 minutes for the pilots and crews to unload wicker baskets, unroll nylon envelopes and start filling the balloons with air using engine-driven fans. Once inflated, the balloons range in size from 50 to 90 feet in length and hold anywhere from 19,000 to 250,000 cubic feet of air.

Balloon pilots like to fly in the stable winds just after sunrise, and the dragon-like roar of the burners will signal to observers that the pilots are getting ready to take flight. No one knows exactly where the balloons will land or how far they will go. That will all depend on the weather conditions along the Wasatch Front during the festival.

If conditions are favorable, the balloons will slowly float away getting a bird's eye view of the valley below. Heights will vary between tree level to 3,000 feet or more. Balloon pilots do have precise vertical control.

After the balloons have lifted off on Saturday, viewers are invited to visit the vendors who will provide food, games and entertainment from 7-9 a.m. and again from 8-10 p.m.

Saturday evening, the balloons will be back at the park for a special event described as the "glow." Each tethered balloon will be filled with heated gas producing a warm glow inside the balloons as a romantic backdrop for the Peter Breinholt & Big Parade concert. Breinholt and his five-piece folk band, are known for their folk/pop style music inspired by Simon & Garfunkel, the Indigo Girls, James Taylor and the Beatles.

All events are free. Centennial Parkway is located between Sandy City hall and the South Towne Center.

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E-mail: dramsay@desnews.com