As the chaos continues in Bangkok, life in Chiangmai carries on, oblivious to all outside activities! Nights are getting cooler but still in the high 20s during the day. There’s always stuff happening here and this past weekend was no exception. Yesterday, we hopped on the scooter and headed over to the Gymkhana Golf Course, where the International Balloon Festival was taking part. It was a two day event, all day Saturday and Sunday, with basically the same events happening each day. The festival has been held annually since 2007 and always draws a large crowd.
The balloons are launched at sunrise on Saturday and Sunday morning. Most of the activities take part later in the day. Several of the larger hotels and resorts have great food booths on the grounds and there was a large beer garden where you could indulge as you watched the festivities! It was really interesting just walking around and watching the huge balloons being set up for the display and show that took part in the evening.
One of the highlights of the evening is the “Night Glow”, where the flames are controlled and the translucent fabrics light up the night sky, all in sync with background music that blasts over the grounds. The day ends with several local and international performers on the main stage.
For anyone visiting Thailand, this is yet another festival to keep in mind when you are planning your travel dates.
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Looks warm, colorful and very inviting especially since it’s been as low as -24c here overnight! And I see there are street vendors – it’s always about the food and photo ops for me! :o)