Sky High for a Good Cause!
Anderson’s Labor Day weekend comes with an unusual morning alarm: hot air balloons rising over the Upstate. From Sept. 4 through 7, looking up is practically part of the schedule.
The Hot Air Affair: Rising Above Cancer returns to the Anderson Sports & Entertainment Center Balloon Field for four days of balloon launches, evening glows and entertainment, all benefiting the Cancer Association of Anderson.
That cause gives the weekend considerably more weight than the balloons suggest.
A Weekend Built Around the Sky
The festival schedule revolves around the weather, as any event involving enormous balloons sensibly should. Visitors can catch morning balloon launches and return for evening balloon glows, when pilots illuminate their balloons from the ground. Tethered rides and other balloon activities are also planned, weather permitting.
Between trips to the balloon field, there’s live music, food trucks, artisan vendors and activities for different ages. The festival’s plan-your-visit guide lays out details for anyone mapping out the weekend, while advance event tickets are available online.
The bigger reason for the gathering is the Cancer Association of Anderson, a local nonprofit that provides financial, physical and emotional assistance to cancer patients in Anderson County. Proceeds from Hot Air Affair support that work, keeping the impact close to home long after the balloons are packed away.
Sunday Gets Even Busier
There’s another reason to keep Sunday open. Anderson Sports & Entertainment Center hosts the 27th Annual Michelin Celebrate Anderson on Sept. 6, giving the holiday weekend a second major community gathering.
The free celebration includes a concert, laser show and fireworks, making Sunday one particularly full day for anyone planning to bounce between Anderson’s Labor Day festivities.
Hot Air Affair works because the spectacle and the purpose fit comfortably together. Families get a weekend that feels different from the usual end-of-summer routine, photographers get a sky worth waking up early for, and the money raised supports neighbors dealing with cancer.
For Anderson, that makes the sight of balloons overhead more than a pretty Labor Day tradition. They’re a very visible reminder of what can happen when a community rallies around its own.
Find more celebrations happening across the state in the Guide to South Carolina festivals directory: https://guidetosouthcarolina.com/festivals