30 Dazzling Photos Of What You Missed at the Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic Night Glow

On Friday night, 16 of the pilots flying in this year's Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic inflated their balloons to put on a stunning, uniquely Boise light show! 

The Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic is full of wonderful photo-ops. From kids smiling and waving from balloon baskets on CapEd Kids Day to watching beautiful colors speckle the Boise skyline after a morning launch, there's so many special moments to snap photos of. However, the Night Glow Spectacular on Friday night is perhaps the most stunning!

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For those of you who've never had a chance to experience night glow in person, it's an evening where the pilots inflate their balloons but don't leave Ann Morrison Park. Instead, they assemble in an oval around the balloon field, inflate and participate in a very cool series of burns. During an all burn, all the pilots pull on their burners and light up their balloons at the same time. During a popcorn burn, pilots pull on their burners at their discretion creating a twinkling effect. And of course, they always do a choreographed routine to a little banjo ditty.

Typically, the hot air balloons don't fly at night and that's why the balloons don't leave the park during the Night Glow. However, there are a handful of talent pilots that are certified to fly before the sun comes up and you'll get to see that for the first time on Saturday morning! There will be a dawn patrol launch both days at 6 a.m., weather permitting. That's when a few of the balloons will leave the field before sunrise. They'll be followed by a standard launch at 7:20 a.m.