“High Kitty” To Fly At Wairarapa Balloon Festival

Media Release

Friday, 13 January 2017

“High Kitty” To Fly At Wairarapa Balloon Festival

High Kitty, the lucky charm of hot air, is the first special shape hot air balloon guest announced to take to the skies during the 2017 Wairarapa Balloon Festival.

The 33 metre tall gigantic balloon will travel down-under from her home in Dallas Texas, USA to New Zealand to attend the Festival being held across the region over Easter weekend, from 13th to 17th April 2017. It will be High Kitty’s first outing in New Zealand skies and she will be joined by 24 other hot air balloons, including a second special-shaped balloon which is yet to be announced.

The Festival’s Organiser, Robyn Cherry-Campbell, is thrilled to confirm the attendance of High Kitty and predicts she will be a huge drawcard for festival-goers, and visitors to the Wairarapa over the Easter weekend.

"This enormous, special-shaped balloon is going to excite the crowd,” says Ms Cherry-Campbell. “High Kitty will certainly get noticed as it will be hard to miss the bright pink 33 metre ‘Manei-neko’ (Japanese for beckoning cat) and she’ll capture the imagination of everyone!”

High Kitty will be joined by best friend, owner and pilot Michael Loy who previously piloted ‘Off The Wall’, the upside down Humpty Dumpty balloon when attending the Wairarapa, Levin and Waikato Festivals in 2007. Loy is looking forward to enjoying Kiwi pies and Pavlovas again, and will be joined by his Crew Chief Barry Horn. High Kitty will be on display throughout the five day festival.

The 2017 Wairarapa Balloon Festival programme, which will be released in the coming weeks will feature a week of balloon lift-offs, loads of family-fun and entertainment at various venues throughout the region, including a ‘Dawn Patrol’ when the balloons will lift off in the dark before sunrise. It will feature the popular Night Glow on Friday 14th April at Solway Showgrounds, where family entertainment is provided and tethered balloons light up the night sky. Ms Cherry-Campbell says the aim is to make the 2017 festival the best festival yet, and festival goers will enjoy some exciting, positive changes from previous years. She encourages everyone to join in the various activities over the five days.

DETAILS:
The Wairarapa Balloon Festival
13-17 April 2017.
Various locations around the region.
www.nzballoons.co.nz

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