Getting sentimental… Peyton Frazer and Abby Nelson, volleyball signees, try not to get emotional by their coaches’ words. They said they were excited to be playing in college, but that they would always miss their high school teams. “I wouldn’t have gotten to this point without my sister; she is such a role model to me because she played college volleyball too,” Nelson said.
Getting sentimental… Peyton Frazer and Abby Nelson, volleyball signees, try not to get emotional by their coaches’ words. They said they were excited to be playing in college, but that they would always miss their high school teams. “I wouldn’t have gotten to this point without my sister; she is such a role model to me because she played college volleyball too,” Nelson said.
Madeline Piazza
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Gulf Coast to host annual hot air balloon festival

Byline photo of Presley Hughes
Presley Hughes, reporter
April 26, 2024

After many months of preparation, the city of Foley and OWA Parks and Resorts will come together again to put on the 20th Annual Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival to shed light on the hard work and determination that goes into making a hot air balloon and safely making it airborne. 

The OWA gates in Foley will open on Thursday, May 2, for the Balloon Glow Kickoff Event at 4 p.m., and the gates close on May 2 at 9 p.m. From 4 to 8 p.m., there will be kid’s events like coloring, painting and caricature artists. For adults, there will be a VIP dinner event. Tickets can be purchased online on the Foley OWA Parks and Resorts website. 

OWA will once again open its gates on Friday, May 3, at 11 a.m., and close at 10 p.m. The beginning of the day will consist of a meet and greet with some of the animals from the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo at 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Disc-Connected K9 Frisbee Dog Show will be occurring at 11:30 p.m., and again at 3 p.m., inside the OWA gates. 

“We’re really excited to show everyone the hard work and showmanship that comes with making hot air balloons fly-able,” said Shelly Newman, a local sponsor and co-director. “The pilots and makers work year round to provide an enjoyable experience for kids and adults alike and we are excited to share this event with locals once again.”

On the final day of the event, Saturday, May 4, hot air balloon pilots will be conducting a meet and greet from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., and the air balloons will finally take off for the tethered balloon rides from 7:30 to 9 p.m. 

The event will provide food, drinks and family-fun for people of all ages. Echoes of memories made will last forever and families won’t want to miss this event. So come on down and join the fun.

The Gulf Coast hot air balloon festival is an event held annually in May every year since 2004. The festival is sponsored by the city of Foley’s fire department, police department, and other local businesses and the city of Foley works together with OWA Parks and Resorts to bring the most fun and safe experiences for families of all ages and sizes.

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