Dozens of colorful hot air balloons will fill the skies this summer over several cities in the Southeast,The Salmon Dilemma, Red Or White Wine. These balloon festivals draw thousands of attendees and provide fun for the entire family. The adventurous among them will enjoy breathtaking views on balloon flights. Even the tethered rides offer an exciting experience. Here are a few of the Southeast most popular summer balloon festivals. Freedom Aloft Weekend takes place Memorial Weekend, May 27-30, at Heritage Park in Simpsonville, South Carolina. This popular festival has been a tradition in the South Carolina Upstate for 29 years. Seventy to eighty colorful balloons take part each year. Attendees can book a balloon flight, take a tethered ride, watch the dog disc championships, and enjoy family friendly activities each day of the festival. Various concerts take place during the weekend at the Heritage Park Amphitheater and are included in the admission price. Advance ticket prices are $7.50 for adults, and children under 12 are free with a paid adult. Ticket prices during the event are $10 per day on May 27-29, and free admission on May 30. Parking is $5 per day. Festival hours are 3pm-11pm on Friday, noon-11pm on Saturday and Sunday, and noon-9pm on Monday. The 7th Annual Gulf Coast Balloon Festival is scheduled for Father Day weekend, June 17-19 in Foley, Alabama. This festival near Alabama gulf beaches usually features 45 balloonists and draws 80,000 visitors. The venue is the Foley Sportspark and admission is free. A free shuttle service is available from three parking locations. The festival features competition flights, children entertainment, world famous Frisbee dogs, musical entertainment, and an arts and crafts show. Hours are 8am-10pm on Friday, 6am-10pm on Saturday, and 6am-10:30am on Sunday. The festival is a great way to entertain Dad on his special weekend. The 15th Annual Rotary BB&T Fourth of July Balloon Rally will take place July 2-5 at the VMI Parade Ground in Lexington, Virginia. Attendees may enjoy balloon rides over the scenic Shenandoah Valley at 6:30am and 6:30pm. Visitors may also enjoy children activities, music, arts and crafts, and fireworks on the 4th of July. Admission to the festival is free,Massage Beijing, and a shuttle bus is available to the parking lots. The 38th Annual Helen to the Atlantic Balloon Race is also scheduled for the Fourth of July Weekend. This is the South oldest balloon event and the only long distance hot air balloon race in the U.S. Usually 6-10 balloons compete in the race,massage treatment. Take off is at 7am on July 2 from Helen, Georgia, a quaint Alpine village in the north Georgia mountains. The finish line is I-95 anywhere along the east coast from Florida to Maine. The shortest distance is 225 miles, and the race usually takes two days to complete. There are other local balloon events for those not participating in the race to the coast. Festival attendees may take tethered rides or book one hour champagne flights over the mountains. Balloons will fly at 7:30am and 6pm and will launch all over town. The summer ends with the popular Callaway Gardens Sky High Hot Air Balloon Festival on Labor Day weekend. The Callaway Gardens Resort is located in Pine Mountain, Georgia, approximately one and a half hours southwest of Atlanta. The festival includes balloon rides, music, and family friendly activities. Attendees look forward to the popular balloon glow on Friday evening, when the beautifully lit balloons are reflected in the water at the resort Robin Lake Beach. All of these hot air balloon festivals offer a full weekend of fun activities. Attendees will get an up close and personal view of many spectacular balloons, and they may even get to take the flight of a lifetime.