Rising to the occasion

Beaten back by rain, fog and wind gusts on three successive tries, the fourth attempt turned out to be the charm for the mass launch of last week”™s Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce Balloon Festival.

A calm early Sunday morning was punctuated by the whooshing sounds of propane burners supplemented by large fans filling hot air balloons with the buoyancy needed for lift off.

The multicolored aircraft lined the banks of the Hudson River on the grounds of the Hudson Valley Rowing Association before letting the gentle breezes carry them away in a northeasterly direction.

About 300 people watched the takeoffs that began around 6 a.m.

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