Hot Air Affair

It's that time of year again. The Hudson Hot Air Affair is this coming weekend. The town of Hudson, Wisconsin is abuzz with activity all weekend. Some of the outdoor activities (yes, it's cold but we dress warm) include a parade, pond hockey on the river, volleyball tournament in the snow, smooshboarding (4 people strapped to one pair of ski-like wooden planks racing another group of the same), a kite fly and of course hot air balloon launches if the weather cooperates with us. The unique shops downtown have sales and the school where the center of activity takes place has an art & craft sale. On Saturday night, there is a balloon glow at the school. If the winds are calm, 30+ balloons inflate and light up the night sky. It is a sight to behold when they all light up their burners at the same time.

The hub and I have been volunteering for the Hudson Hot Air Affair for 8 years now. It's an organizational feat to pull this event off every year. There are a few key players coordinating and a whole lot of volunteers pitching in to make it happen. I take care of the majority of their graphic design needs and coordinate the Minnesota Kite Society kite fly. The hub has been involved with the ballooning duties including flying the event in past years and one year he was the balloonmeister (the main poo-pah of the balloonists). We have the balloon parked this winter so will enjoy being spectators when we are not on duty.

It's a fun outing if you're in the Minneapolis/St. Paul/West Central Wisconsin area. There are no admissions for the different events, parking is free and it is all kid friendly. There's a full schedule and info at their website, hudsonhotairaffair.com.