THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 2, 1996 TAG: 9605310192
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Frank Roberts
LENGTH: 65 lines
Borrowing from a couple of familiar show tunes, next April promises not only showers but beautiful balloons.
If you're a ``balloon-atic'' or just love looking at the hot-air creations, mark your calendar for April 11 to 13. About 30 of them, up to three stories tall, are expected to float into town then for Suffolk's Spring Spectacular and Balloon Fest.
Rene Meier, president of Balloon Promotions of Gloucester - which has contracted with the Suffolk Festival Committee to bring in the balloons - said, ``I hope the Suffolk fest will expand to become the largest on the East Coast.
The only similar event in Virginia is in Bealeton. ``It's very small,'' said Kathy Holland, marketing director of Balloon Promotions, ``but it's been drawing very large crowds.''
The expectation locally is the bigger the event the bigger the crowds.
Jesse Johnson, president of the board of Suffolk Festivals, sees ``no reason the festival can't grow to national proportion. There's a lot of room at the site.''
The site is Suffolk Airport, home of the annual Peanut Fest.
``This won't be Peanut Fest II,'' said Wayne Smith, chairman. ``It's an entirely new project. . . '' Besides the balloons, he said there will be a carnival, family activities, family stage entertainment, national entertainment on the main stage, a Saturday night concert, crafts and vendors.
If all goes well, the Spring Spectacular and Balloon Fest will become an annual affair. It will be free, except for parking.
Like Peanut Fest, the event will be a fund-raiser for service organizations and as a way to show off the city.
There will be balloon rides and races. There be colorful advertising balloons, and some of the balloons will glow after dark.
Sponsors are being sought for the Spirit of '76 balloon - $1,500 for the weekend - and a handicapped-accessible balloon. From Washington state, it's the only one of its kind in the country and is owned by a family with handicapped members.
For more information, call Suffolk Festivals: 539-6751.
The Southampton County Historical Society is on a geography hunt.
They want to talk to anyone who can tell them where to find these places: Blount's Swamp, James Branch, Horse Meadow Branch and - my favorite - Technothunty Swamp.
I'd love to know where that name came from. The first part sounds fairly modern, but is a ``thunty?''
The society may be reached at 654-6785.
Suffolk resident Jarrette Campbell, who - courtesy the Make-A-Wish Foundation - went to Chicago to meet his hero, Michael Jordan, made the front page of the spring edition of abra-ca-dabra, publication of Eastern Virginia's Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Jarrette shared his Windy City time with 11 other boys who met the basketball great, attended a sports party and got an up-front seat at the Bulls game. (They won).
Jarrette is recovering from surgery and treatment for a brain tumor.
One picture shows Jarrette and Jordan; another, with Chelsea Noble on his lap. She and her husband, Kirk Cameron, paid the young men a surprise visit.
Way to go, Jarrette. ILLUSTRATION: The Spirit of '76 may appear at Suffolk's Balloon Fest
in 1997. by CNB