The balloons are back!

“When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.” —Leonardo da Vinci, 15th century

Come to Pellissippi State’s Fourth Annual Hot Air Balloon Festival on September 28-29 and you’ll find 25 of the fabulous flying machines.

Home to one of the largest hot air balloon festivals in East Tennessee, the College once again is preparing to welcome tens of thousands of visitors to the Pellissippi Campus on Hardin Valley Road.

Knoxville-based musicians Scott Miller and the Commonwealth head up a pre-festival celebration on Thursday, September 27, with a performance at 8 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center. Tickets, priced separately at $20 each for reserved seats, are available by calling (865) 694-6528.

On Friday, the festival really gets under way, running 4-9 p.m. On Saturday, events kick off with a 7:30 a.m. balloon liftoff and tethered balloon rides (7:30-noon). Then, starting at 11 a.m. and continuing through 9 p.m., festival-goers can take advantage of a ton o’ fun activities and an array of food, original arts and crafts, and music.

“American Idol” finalist and country music newcomer Carmen Rasmusen takes the stage on Friday, performing at 7 p.m., followed by the spectacular “balloon glow” at 8:15 p.m. Rasmusen’s appearance is sponsored by WIVK-FM.

On Saturday the diverse musical lineup includes Four Leaf Peat (Celtic/Irish) at 3 p.m., followed by the Tennessee Sheiks (acoustic swing) at 4:15, Christabel and the Jons (jazz/’40s) at 5:30 and Pine Mountain Railroad (bluegrass) at 6:45.

Then at 8 p.m., the Warriors of AniKituhwa, a traditional dance group representing the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians, will perform, illuminating the campus pond with glowing torches.

Entertainment headquarters for children can be found at the KidZone, where inflatables, kiddie rides, games and hands-on activities await youngsters at a cost of only $5 for a full day.

But hot air balloons are the center attraction, and visitors can get up close and personal by boarding a tethered balloon or simply admiring one with both feet planted firmly on the ground.

The balloons are scheduled to lift off from the campus Saturday morning at 7:30 and again Saturday afternoon at 5:30. Times are approximate, as all launches depend on weather.

Some balloonists will stay on campus Saturday, however, offering tethered balloon rides 7:30-noon and 4-9 p.m. at $10 per person (with 36 inches the minimum height for riding). Again, rides are weather permitting.

Tom Roush, the festival’s flight director, has piloted balloons for many years and flies in rallies and festivals across the country.

“The Pellissippi State campus,” he said, “is a perfect location for an event like this, and when my fellow balloonists and I realized we could use our hobby to benefit the College, we decided to partner with them to help raise funds for the Pellissippi State Foundation to use for scholarships for deserving students.”

Festival admission is $10 per vehicle for a weekend pass, which includes parking.

Additional donations are appreciated, especially for large-capacity vehicles such as vans or buses.

“We’ve got more crowd-pleasers than ever at this year’s festival,” said Pat Myers, director of alumni relations and fundraising events, “and we look forward to the community coming out to share in the fun!”

Visitors can purchase limited edition T-shirts and other balloon merchandise.

This year’s media sponsors are WIVK-FM, WBIR-TV and the Knoxville New Sentinel.