The 45th annual ClovisFest kicks off before dawn with Remax and other hot air balloons setting up to give the community at carnival atmosphere, Oct. 26.

ClovisFest covers over 12 city blocks in downtown Clovis. You can find the hot air balloon fun fly in the Clovis Rodeo Grounds, and then walk the streets where you will find over 200 vendors. This year, the annual ClovisFest is held Sat.-Sun. from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., at its traditional location in downtown Clovis, Oct. 26-27.

Feather staffers, Addison Schultz, ’21, and Avery Jones, ’20, view Clovis from a different perspective, riding alongside pilot, Peggy Watson-Meinke, in her Starlight hot air balloon, Oct. 26. She is from Santa Paula, California.

While living in Germany, Watson-Meinke received her FAA LTA Pilot’s license in 1986 and has over 500 hours experience flying balloons.

ClovisFest is hosted by the Clovis Chamber of Commerce, uniting the community by bringing many different attractions for the Fresno County community each fall.

Fun facts about hot air balloons :

• Hot air balloons were invented in France in the 1700s.
• Record height for a hot air balloon is 68,986 feet.
• The first pilots were condemned criminals.
• The world’s largest hot air balloon festival is hosted in Albuquerque, New Mexico, each year.
• Hot air balloons have a chase crew that follows the hot air balloon throughout the flight in a chase vehicle.
• Each hot air balloon liftoff costs at least $150 in actual expenses, plus other costs including wear and tear, etc.

To learn more about ClovisFest, read RE/MAX balloon floats Feather journalists over ClovisFest.

For more Feather photos, visit media, photos 2019-20.

ClovisFest hot air balloon fun fly, Oct. 26.

Gallery • 23 Photos