BOISE, Idaho — After being canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Spirit of Boise is returning this September to celebrate its 30th anniversary.
From Sept. 1 through 5, Ann Morrison Park in Boise will become home to more than 50 hot air balloons that will take to the skies. The Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic will begin with the CapEd Kid's Day. On Friday night, there will be the Nite Glow and a special memorial to Scott Spencer, the event's founder.
Spencer died in February 2020 after a battle with colon cancer. He was 65.
"We are so excited to celebrate the life of the founder, Scott Spencer, in the 30th year of the Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic," Mike Owens, an official with Townsquare Media, said in a statement.
In 1991, Spencer started the Spirit of Boise as part of the Boise River Festival. He was awarded a key to the City of Boise in October 2019. In a speech, he said, "Everybody has a mission every year to help us put that on. It's an honor to see that machine we've created work."
The classic, which now spans five days, will end on Sunday, Sept. 5. That morning begins at 5:30 a.m. with the last launch of the classic, followed by dawn patrol at 6:00 a.m. and mandatory flights at 7:20 a.m.
Each day of events will begin at anywhere from 5:30 a.m. to 6: 45 a.m. and outside of Friday's Nite Glow Spectacular, the final event will be at about 7:20 a.m.
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