When the winds were whipping across the Natchez bluffs Friday afternoon, this year’s balloon race weekend looked a little shaky.

The Great Mississippi River Balloon Race is a great event, but it’s an event whose biggest attraction is dependent upon something completely out of the hands of organizers — the weather.

During the day on Friday, 20 mph wind was making it seem practically impossible for any one to safely inflate a balloon.

Too much or too little wind and the balloons go nowhere.

Through the end of the day Saturday, the first legs of the balloon race were blessed with wonderful weather.

Friday night’s balloon glow had practically perfect weather — cool temperatures and low wind.

It’s easy for us all to take the balloon race for granted, but the event is a huge undertaking for a small band of volunteers.

All of their hard work and months of planning and preparation culminate in balloon race weekend.

The musical lineup can be great and the food and site prepped just so, but if the weather doesn’t cooperate, the weekend just isn’t as big of a hit.

Fortunately, the balloon race has been lucky in the last few years and the event has for the most part been blessed with good weather.

We wish the festival continued fair skies ahead and offer up a big “thank you” to all of the volunteers, organizers, pilots and sponsors who made this year’s race go off so well.