At the 7th Cappadocia Balloon Festival held in Nevşehir, 30 themed hot air balloons from numerous countries will float over the fairy chimneys.
The festival, organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, will begin on July 30th and last for 4 days. Themed balloons from 9 countries, in addition to Turkey, will participate in the event.
30 themed hot air balloons from Turkey, the USA, France, England, Belgium, the Netherlands, Brazil, Slovakia, Austria, and Poland will take off alongside the 156 hot air balloons that fly daily in the region.
Balloons designed in various shapes such as the Turkish flag, an octopus, an owl, a clown, a chick, a wolf, a duck, a parrot, a rocket, a heart, and the world will fly every morning at sunrise throughout the event in valleys covered with fairy chimneys.
Themed balloons that will float in the sky during the day will present a light show in the evening at the Paşabağları Archaeological Site.
Festival coordinator Mehmet Halis Aydoğan stated that interest in the festival increases every year thanks to the promotional activities of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. He noted that participation requests were kept limited due to the high intensity of balloon flights in the region.
Aydoğan, stating that preparations have reached their final stage, said that balloon pilots and crews from abroad who will participate have started entering Turkey:
"Balloon festivals are held in many parts of the world. There are events we can call major festivals in the USA, France, Belgium, and Mexico. Cappadocia's greatest feature is its incredible geography, where 156 of our balloons fly daily. The Cappadocia region is a place where thousands of people come both to fly in balloons and to watch them. When we adorn these with special shaped balloons, it creates an incredible sight. This is also our greatest feature that distinguishes us from all other festivals. Looking at it from Turkey's perspective, our biggest difference is our hospitality. Balloons already make an incredibly significant contribution to Cappadocia's brand value. The balloon festival is also valuable for increasing this brand value, for increasing children's interaction with aviation and balloons during the summer holiday season when schools are closed, and for making a small impact on their hearts. This year, there was particularly high demand from Europe, but we limited it to 30 balloons due to the intense continuation of our flights in the region."
Children's Dream to Meet the Sky
Aydoğan stated that the "Whale" themed balloon of 6th-grade student Bengi Serra Kaya, who was selected as the winner in the "My Dream Balloon Design Competition" organized among primary and secondary school students in the city, will also fly for the first time at the festival.
Aydoğan, stating that the balloon will ascend to the sky with children at the festival, said, "Our winning balloon has been specially produced and will make its first flight. Children have a great deal of interest in the festival, and we want to move forward by further increasing this interaction."
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