KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MI -- If you look above the Kalamazoo skyline this weekend and see a giant bear, a seal or Tweety Bird, your eyes aren’t deceiving you - it’s the Kalamazoo Balloon Fest.

Thirteen years ago, Derrick Jones started the festival with just 12 hot air balloons. This year, the event will have 30 balloons flying over Kalamazoo, weather permitting, for thousands to see.

The festival is Friday, Aug. 22, and Saturday, Aug. 23, at Gull Meadow Farms in Richland. Event hours are from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. both days. The festival itself is free and will host the Gull Meadows Market, food trucks and have family activities available for purchase.

Thomas Brown, the pilot of “Whimsical,” has been a hot air balloon pilot for almost 30 years, sharing the “gentle giants” with almost 2,000 passe

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