2011 NJ Festival of Ballooning

The 29th annual Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning, in association with PNC, is the largest summertime hot air balloon and music festival in North America. The festival runs Friday through Sunday, July 29-31, at Solberg Airport, 39 Thor Solberg Road.

The event features up to 125 sport- and special-shaped hot-air balloons from around the world and attracts upward of 150,000-175,000 people. Hundreds of arts and crafts and food vendors will also be on hand.

Festival hours are Friday 1 to 10 p.m.; Saturday, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. The main attraction, of course, are the balloons, with balloon mass ascensions taking place twice daily at 6:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.

A fireworks display is set for Friday evening at 9:30 p.m. and a Balloon Glow on Saturday night.

Festival goers have a bevy of live concerts to choose from. A performance of ABBA The Concert takes place Friday at 8 p.m. Disney teen sensation Mitchel Musso will appear on Saturday at 1 p.m. and Barenaked Ladies perform on Saturday at 8 p.m. Legendary rocker Meat Loaf takes the stage on Sunday at 4 p.m.

The Red Bull Air Force Skydive and Wingsuit Demonstration will perform a high-flying routine daily — Friday at 6:30 p.m.; Saturday at 6:30 a.m., 3:30 and 8 p.m.; and Sunday at 6:30 a.m., 3 and 6:30 p.m.

New this year is Human Cannonball Jennifer Schneider, who will be propelled into the air on Friday at 3:30 and 6 p.m.; on Saturday at 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.; and Sunday at 8 a.m., 1 and 5 p.m. The Human Cannonball will also double as the starting gun for a Charity 5K and Family Fun Run on Sunday morning at 8 a.m.