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The 2008 EDS Credit Union Plano Balloon Festival
September 2008 - Britney Porter
Look skyward September 19 - 21 as 75 hot air balloons ascend in splendor at the EDS Credit Union Plano Balloon Festival! Special shape balloons in vibrant colors will include Woodrow C. Greenleaf, High Jack, Airabelle the Cow, Miss Daisy, and Pandy the Panda. On the ground will be an audience awestruck by the “Lofty Visions” that make this Plano’s largest, most colorful event. 
There are five balloon launches during the three-day festival at Oak Point Park. Before the evening launches, the RE/MAX parachute team will jump from their planes to signal clear skies and be greeted by onlookers. On Friday night, “LUV in the PARK” will feature international award-winning performer Kraig Parker as Elvis. On Saturday night, all you need is love to attend the Beatles tribute band concert with Me & My Monkey.
 When dusk settles, burners will roar for the Balloon Glow. “Oohs” and “aahs” will echo from children and adults alike. Saturday will offer even more spark, flare and fun when Crest Cadillac/Infiniti presents a fireworks show.
Come hungry! Funnel cakes, corn dogs, cotton candy, and turkey legs will quell appetites. New to the festival this year will be Best Buy’s Touring Road Show. Attendees can play the latest video games and listen to satellite radio in a futuristic egg chair. And, as part of the Change the World, Start with ENERGY STAR campaign, sponsored by JCPenney and Oncor Electric Delivery of Dallas, an interactive exhibit modeled after an energy-efficient home will be on display.
It wouldn’t be a festival without a “Kids Korner” complete with a rock climbing wall and bounce houses. The KDFW FOX 4 Community Stage will be bouncing with local performers Saturday from 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. 
Critical to the success of the balloon festival is the participation of 37 nonprofit organizations that serve as food concessionaires, parking attendants, or representatives at booths promoting their services and programs. The 28-year commitment between the balloon festival and Plano’s nonprofit organizations has allowed more than 2 million dollars to be circulated back into the community!
Admission to the EDS Credit Union Plano Balloon Festival is $4 between 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., $5 for an event ticket, $8 for a day ticket, and $20 for a weekend ticket. Seniors 65 and over receive $1 off. Kids under 36 inches get in free. Prime parking at Collin College and First United Methodist Church is $10 a car; off-site parking at the Plano Centre is $5 a car. Go green and ride the DART Rail to the Parker Rd. Station. Hop on the free “Balloon Flyer” anytime between 6 a.m. - 10 p.m. Spring Creek Parkway between Jupiter and Parker Roads will be closed to traffic. Towing will be enforced in No Parking areas. Visit www.planoballoonfest.org.
Drum-A-Thon benefits Troop Aid
It’ll be a bangin’ time at the 22nd Annual Drum-A-Thon Saturday, September 20. The annual fundraiser will draw crowds to Oak Point Amphitheater as part of the EDS Credit Union Balloon Festival. From 8 a.m. - 6 p.m., between scheduled bands, performers will drum up their best 30-minute solo. The event is not a competition, rather an exhibition, and funds are raised through sponsorships as well as local merchants, friends and families.
The Drum-A-Thon will benefit Operation Troop Aid (www.operationtroopaid.org), a nonprofit organization that provides care packages to U.S. service members with revenue generated through concert promotions and public donations.
“Caring for our troops is a great cause,” said Clif Allman, event organizer. “When I was looking for a beneficiary, Mark Wood with Operation Troop Aid showed the most interest in being actively involved.”
Performers meet two weeks prior to the drum-a-thon to line up the schedule. All ages are welcome to participate. For more information, visit www.myspace.com/clifsdrumathon. Operation Troop Aid’s MySpace is accessible through Allman’s friends list.
2008 Schedule
Friday, September 19
4 p.m. - Festival Opens and Bus Service Begins
5:30 p.m. - RE/MAX Parachute Team
6 p.m. - Balloon Launch
7 p.m. - “Kraig Parker as Elvis” on the KLUV Main Stage, presented by Elliott’s Hardware
8 p.m. - “Lite up the Night” Balloon Glow with lite 103.7 FM
8:45 p.m. - Family fun-filled Street Dance
Saturday, September 20
6 a.m. - Gates & Parking Lots Open and Bus Service Begins
6:30 a.m. - Dawn Patrol “Wake up Plano”
7 a.m. - Balloon Launch presented by the City of Plano
5 p.m. - RE/MAX Parachute Team
6 p.m. - Balloon Launch presented by EDS Credit Union
7 p.m. - Beatles Tribute Band “Me and My Monkey” on the KLUV Main Stage
8 p.m. - “Lite up the Night” Balloon Glow with lite 103.7 FM
9 p.m. - Spectacular Fireworks Show, presented by Crest Cadillac/Infiniti
Sunday, September 21
6 a.m. - Gates & Parking Lots Open and Bus Service Begins
6:30 a.m. - Dawn Patrol “Wake up Plano”
7 a.m. - Balloon Launch
5 p.m. - RE/MAX Skydivers
6 p.m. - Balloon Launch, presented by Allstate Insurance
7 p.m. - Festival Closes
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