Pellissippi State Balloon Fest '08

The weekend of September 26th & 27th proved to be very special despite the cloudy skies. I was honored to be part of the Pellissippi State Balloon Fest! I got to go on Friday & Saturday afternoon & perform as part of the children programs at the event. It was so great to see how many people came to see me... I almost couldn't believe it. There were people waiting an hour before I was even supposed to go on just to make sure they had a good spot in the audience. The first night, I came with my friend Lucas, the Screech Owl. Everybody thought he was so cute, & they all loved the story of how he came to live at the Knoxville Zoo. As for Saturday, I got the pleasure of traveling with Cyrano, a Green Aracari. He looks a lot like a miniature Toucan. We had a really fun "catching" contest with this little girl named Cheyenne. She proved to be a tough competitor for little Cyrano. I hope they invite us back next year. It's always so fun interacting with all the kids & their families. Not to mention the beautiful hot-air balloons... very cool!