Balloon Race 2012
Published 11:42 am Friday, January 4, 2013
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- BEN HILLYER/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — Balloonist Bill Cunningham, center in basket, makes final preparations for his take off on the last day of the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race. Cunningham was the only balloonist to fly the entire
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- BEN HILLYER/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — Two-year old Jennings McCurley watches as Bill Cunningham’s balloon flies over the Mississippi River on the last day of the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race Sunday.
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- BEN HILLYER/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — Balloonist Bill Cunningham, center in basket, inflates his balloon on the last day of the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race. Cunningham was the only balloonist to fly the entire day.
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- BEN HILLYER/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — Country music star Pat Green sings during the last day of the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race Sunday.
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- BEN HILLYER/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — A hot-air balloon inflates behind the crowds of music fans listening to country music star Pat Green sings during the last day of the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race Sunday.
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- BEN HILLYER/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — Eight-year old Lyden Bland scales the rock climbing wall on the festival grounds of the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race Sunday afternoon.
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- BEN HILLYER/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — Bill Cunningham’s balloon gets ready for lift off Sunday afternoon at the Great Mississippi River Balloon race festival grounds.
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- BEN HILLYER/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — Three-year-old Addison Lavigne didn’t see any balloons Sunday other than the one she played with as her family left the festival. Only one balloon lifted off Sunday on the last day of the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race.
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- BEN HILLYER/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — Festival-goers crowd around Bill Cunningham’s balloon Sunday afternoon as Karen Kent, far left, helps inflate his hot-air balloon on the last day of the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race.
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- BEN HILLYER/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — Spectators watch as pilot Al Muir flies over the festival grounds Saturday.
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- BEN HILLYER/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — Balloon fly over the festival grounds Saturday.
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- LAUREN WOOD/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — Lyla Perrodin, 3, blows bubbles during The Great Mississippi River Balloon Race festival Saturday afternoon at Rosalie Bicentennial Gardens.
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- LAUREN WOOD/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — Hot-air balloons glide over the Mississippi River bridge during the key grab flight Saturday afternoon.
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- LAUREN WOOD/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — Spectators stand along the bluff as they watch hot-air balloons attempt the key grab as they soar across the Mississippi River Saturday afternoon during The Great Mississippi River Balloon Race.
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- FILE PHOTO | THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — Owyn Long, right, and her niece Olyvia Fonseca, 10, left, enjoy a carnival ride on the bluff.
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- LAUREN WOOD/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — B.B. Dickerson, far left, jams on the bass guitar while performing with The Lowrider Band Saturday evening at the Rosalie Bicentennial Gardens.
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- LAUREN WOOD/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — Ella McCalip, 11, left, and her sister Macy, 7, brace themselves as they ride a carnival ride Saturday evening at The Great Mississippi River Balloon Race festival.
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- LAUREN WOOD/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — Pilot Al Muir flies over the target balloon during the key grab. He was not close enough to grab the ribbon and win the new vehicle.
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- LAUREN WOOD/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — Pilot Steve Jones works to inflate his balloon Saturday.
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- LAUREN WOOD/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — Colby Murphy, 10, left, points and looks with Leanna Goss, 11, and Lloyd Howington as hot-air balloons soar through the sky toward the target behind the Natchez Mall Saturday morning.
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- LAUREN WOOD/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — Pilot Jim Birk swings his marker before dropping it near the target Saturday morning during the target drop behind the Natchez Mall. Each pilot had three markers to drop.
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- LAUREN WOOD/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — Hot-air balloon pilots Robert Homes, left, and Bill Bussey, right, drop down near the target to drop their markers for the target drop Saturday morning behind the Natchez Mall.
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- LAUREN WOOD/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — Spectators stand in the parking lot behind the Natchez Mall as hot-air balloons soar down and away as they drop their markers on the target Saturday morning.
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- LAUREN WOOD/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT —Spectators watch as balloons inflate, including Steve Jones’ Pop-A-Bud balloon, along River Terminal Road early Saturday morning as the pilots prepare for the target drop.
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- LAUREN WOOD/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — Hot-air balloons fill up the sky as their pilots near the target to drop their markers Saturday morning behind the Natchez Mall.
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- LAUREN WOOD/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — Christy Rawles Farmer snaps a photo on her cell phone of a balloon lowering to drop their marker on the target Saturday morning behind the Natchez Mall.
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- LAUREN WOOD/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — Mallory Dickey, 11, snaps photos of the incoming hot-air balloons on her iPad during the Saturday morning target drop behind the Natchez Mall.
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- LAUREN WOOD/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — Brayden Brasher, 4, left, stands with his family including Carsen Runnels, 5, from left, April Barton, Amber Runnels, Jamie Barton and Taylor Barton, 7, as they watch the balloons soar in for the target drop Saturday morning behind the Natchez Mall.
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- LAUREN WOOD/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — People gather around a hot-air balloon as the burner is fired Friday night during the balloon glow on the bluff.
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- LAUREN WOOD/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — Dean Durr, center, of Waynesboro and his crew light the burners of his balloon, Dean’s Dream, as they inflate it for the balloon glow Friday night on the bluff.
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- LAUREN WOOD/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — Selina Rutherford sits on her father Cole’s shoulders as they watch the hot-air balloons around them light up during Friday night’s balloon glow on the bluff.
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- LAUREN WOOD/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — Hot-air balloon pilot Charles Venable of Neosho, Mo., lights his burners Friday morning.
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- LAUREN WOOD/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — Morgantown Middle School students crowd around two balloons Friday morning at the start of school.
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- LAUREN WOOD/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — Steve Jones shows off his Pop-A-Bud balloon to area school children Friday morning.
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- LAUREN WOOD/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — Balloons land in Natchez Friday morning.
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- LAUREN WOOD/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — Balloons fly across the Mississippi River at sunrise Friday morning.
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- LAUREN WOOD/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — Balloonmeister Bill Cunningham talks to pilots before Friday morning’s race.
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- LAUREN WOOD/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — Pilot David Miller of Pineville, La., crosses into Natchez Friday morning.
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- LAUREN WOOD/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — Balloons inflate and lift off from a grassy field in Concordia Parish Friday morning.
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- LAUREN WOOD/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — The crew of Charles Venable of Neosho, Mo., inflates at right, while Jason Gaines takes off at top right. Balloons took of from a grassy field in Vidalia Friday morning.
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- LAUREN WOOD/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — Balloons take off from Vidalia Friday morning.
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