Great Forest Park Balloon Race

This colorful event is held on the third Saturday in September each year in St. Louis. Pilots and balloons from all over the country come into town for a "hare and hounds" race. In this type of race, one balloon gets a head start and leads the others on a merry chase through the sky. Then it lands and places a big marker (X marks the spot) nearby. The other pilots drop bean-bag markers and try to place theirs nearest the mark. Whoever comes closest is the winner.

The pictures below are from the September 20, 2003 race. Click on an image to see its larger version.