Green Country Balloon Festival Benefits Broken Arrow Nonprofit

Colorful hot air balloons will light up the Green Country skyline this weekend.

The Green Country Balloon Festival benefits the Gatesway Foundation, a nonprofit in Broken Arrow.

The festival kicks off Friday, October 27, with a balloon glow from 6 to 8 p.m. and continues on Saturday, October 28th, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

20 hot air balloons will be offering tethered rides on Saturday, weather permitting. 

Martin Philpott is the owner of Auspicious Balloon Flights based in Bixby. His hot air balloon has one of the only wheelchair-accessible baskets in the country.

"There is only three of us that I know of that have a chair," Philpott continued, saying, "We can literally transfer a person from their wheelchair into our chair and strap them in with a harness."

He has been bringing his balloon to the festival since 1992. Philpott said he connected with the Gatesway Foundation's mission right away. 

"It is a soul-like connection," he said. "I feel moved to be with them, and I have family that are developmentally disabled and physically disabled and so I appreciate what Gatesway does for adults with developmental and physical disabilities."

The Gatesway Foundation offers many different services to help its clients find a place to live and work in the community. 

Saundra Downy has been with the nonprofit for about three years and said it gives her the freedom to do what she wants. "You can go eat somewhere you want to eat or go shopping if you want to shop. It just does a lot of good," she added.

Along with the hot air balloons, the Green Country Balloon Festival also features over 15 food trucks, more than 40 vendors, a Kid Zone with an exotic petting zoo, and trick or treating. There will be a balloon glow on both evenings of the festival as long as the weather allows.

Tickets are $7 for Friday evening and $12 on Saturday. The money raised from admission will go directly to help fund the Gatesway Foundation's services.