The Great Pershing Balloon Derby is a

hot air balloon festival Hot air balloon festivals are held annually in many places throughout the year, allowing hot air balloons operators to gather- as well as for the general public- to participate in various activities. They can include races; evening "night glows" ...

held each Labor Day weekend near

Brookfield, Missouri Brookfield is a city in Linn County, Missouri, United States. The population was 4,111 at the 2020 census. History Brookfield was surveyed in 1859 by John Wood Brooks, a native of Boston. John Wood Brooks is further remembered by the names of f ...

. The three-day festival draws balloonists from the midwest and as far away as

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and the

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Tho ...

. It is named in honor of General John J. Pershing, leader of the

American Expeditionary Forces The American Expeditionary Forces (A. E. F.) was a formation of the United States Army on the Western Front of World War I. The A. E. F. was established on July 5, 1917, in France under the command of General John J. Pershing. It fought along ...

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and a native of nearby Laclede, Missouri. The Great Pershing Balloon Derby (GPBD) has been recognized as the longest running continually sanctioned ballooning event in the U.S. by the Balloon Federation of America.

History

The derby was first held from September 30 to October 2, 1977 with forty balloons launching from Pershing State Park west of Brookfield. Originally sponsored and organized by the

Missouri Department of Natural Resources The Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MoDNR) of the government of the U.S. state of Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied fo ...

and the Pershing Memorial Development Association, it was held as a fundraiser for the Pershing Museum. The second year, and every thereafter, the derby was held over Labor Day weekend. By its third year the number of balloons participating nearly doubled to seventy. In years two through eight the Derby was also held at a variety of temporary locations in Linn County. The 7th annual Great Pershing Balloon Derby was nearly the last, as fundraising and sponsorship problems arose. However, in early 1984 a group of balloonists and concerned area citizens worked together to keep the event going and formed Green Hills Ballooning Inc. to take over the Derby. Beginning in the 9th year, the Derby had a permanent home as well on land provided by the Myron Peacher family. The Missouri DNR returned as a co-sponsor as well, and by 1986 attendance reached a peak of 14,000 spectators. During this time period more activities were added to the weekend schedule such as a queen contest, dances for balloonists and spectators, and a craft festival. The 17th Great Pershing Balloon Derby was the first year in which the Sunday "Night Light" was added to the schedule of events. 2020 saw the 44th be modified. Myron Peacher Memorial Launch Field was closed to fans. The Friday Night South Main Night Flame was cancelled.

The GPBD today

The derby itself is held now at the Myron Peacher Memorial Launch Site, an open field on State Road FF about two miles north of

U.S. Highway 36 U.S. Route 36 (US 36) is an east–west United States highway that travels approximately from Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado to Uhrichsville, Ohio. The highway's western terminus is at Deer Ridge Junction, an intersection i ...

between Brookfield and Laclede. In recent years the number of participating balloons has stabilized at around forty-five. One highlight is the "South Main Night Flame", held in downtown Brookfield. Balloonists and their craft line the street for a night burn. In 2011 and 2012 the derby was selected as site for the BFA North Central Regional Championship. The balloon derby is held in conjunction with many other festivities in nearby Brookfield including

beauty contest A beauty pageant is a competition that has traditionally focused on judging and ranking the physical attributes of the contestants. Pageants have now evolved to include inner beauty, with criteria covering judging of personality, intelligence, ...

concert A concert is a live music performance in front of an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, choir, or band. Concerts are held in a wide variet ...

s, parades, and a

fly-in A fly-in is a pre-arranged gathering of aircraft, pilots and passengers for recreational and social purposes. Fly-ins may be formally or informally organised, members of the public may or may not be invited, the gathering may be at an airport o ...

at North Central Missouri Regional Airport. Launches are generally at dusk and dawn on Saturday and Sunday and at dawn on Monday (Labor Day). A night glow is usually held at sunset on Sunday evening.

References

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External links

Chamber of Commerce Site
Hot air balloon festivals in the United States Ballooning competitions Festivals in Missouri Missouri culture Linn County, Missouri