th
End Summer on a High Note with a BONUS Sunday Balloon Glow
PINE MOUNTAIN, GA (8/17/12) – Are you lamenting the end of another
Summer? Worry not…at Callaway Gardens ® , things are looking up - way up - with the return of the Callaway Gardens ® Sky High Hot Air Balloon Festival for its
14 th year.
Set for August 31-September 3, 2012, this annual Balloon Festival has something for everyone, from the soaring, majestic, colorful balloons to
Callaway Gardens’ unique mix of natural beauty, to its endless helpings of multi-generational activities and events. When it comes to family fun at
Callaway Gardens, the sky is the limit!
Festivities kick off Friday night when guests flock to Robin Lake Beach for the Balloon Glow . Upbeat live music sets the mood as balloons inflate. While the sun sets, the balloons’ individual colors glow against the gorgeous evening sky. Guests shout “ready, set…glow.”
On both Saturday and Sunday mornings, it is up, up and away as the balloons head for the open skies (weather permitting*) at sunrise and sunset. On the ground, the action continues as Robin Lake Beach plays host to a family festival featuring activities and events for all ages. Choose from tethered balloon rides* * (weather permitting*), swimming, miniature golf, disc dog demonstrations, t-shirt tie-dyeing** and more.
Don’t miss the popular Classic Car Show on Saturday. In 2012, nearly 300 cars are expected to roll through the gates and add even more color to the already spectacular event. Additional activities include at Robin Lake Beach including Aqua Island ** and Light Striker Laser Tag **. Come prepared to get wet and have a great weekend.
Sunday night will be extra special this year. At dusk the U. S. Army Silver
Wings Pyrotechnic Skydiving Team will impress everyone with their skills and precision. Then, a bonus Sunday night Balloon Glow will be a first for the highly requested second glow of the festival. And, that night is also the timing of the unusual second full moon for the month of August. It is called a Blue Moon . Here are three great reasons to stay around on Sunday night and enjoy the festivities thorough Sunday.
Inside the Gardens, be sure to witness the flight of hundreds of blue butterflies as part of September’s special Blue Morpho Month .
If the trend continues, for the month of September there will be more Blue Morphos on display in one place at Callaway Gardens’ Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center than any other place on the planet. Of course, there are also bicycle trails,
Birds of Prey shows, floral displays, walking trails and more.
And, if you really want to fly, try out the new TreeTop Adventure **, a yearround attraction at Callaway Gardens featuring 25 games and zip lines in the tree canopy. Be sure to make your reservation before your visit.

On Sunday morning, the athletically inclined can enjoy their own adventures thanks to the Callaway Gardens Fitness Series , including a 5K run and the
Triathlon. This year represents the 32 nd anniversary of the Triathlon at
Callaway Gardens. It is the oldest triathlon in the South and one of the longest continuous running triathlons in the continental United States. To register, visit www.active.com
.
Want to be a part of the high-flying balloon action? Sign up to be on a Balloon Chase Crew for the weekend. Crew members are assigned to assist pilots throughout the weekend with setting up balloons, chasing them when they are in the air and then bringing them back to Callaway after landing.
For more information, contact Andy Brown at 706-663-
5043 or abrown@callawaygardens.com
.
Festival admission is $25 per adult (ages 13-64); $20 per senior (65+);
$12.50 per child (ages 6-12); and free for children 5 and younger (admission prices include tax). Annual Passholders and military, with active and retired identification, can enter the Gardens with up to five guests in the same vehicle per day for free on Friday and before 9 a.m. on Saturday and
Sunday. These two groups can enter for half-price after 9 a.m. each day. This price includes access to Callaway Gardens and its many attractions and activities.
As an incentive to witness the morning launches, admission at the U.S. Hwy.
27 Beach gate will be half-price from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. on Saturday and
Sunday. To make the early arrival deal a little sweeter, the Exchange Club of Columbus will be serving an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast for $5 per person (while supplies last) under the Beach Pavilion on Saturday and Sunday morning.
Stay around and enjoy the entire weekend with friends and family on the Sky
High Hot Air Balloon Weekend Package . A limited number of remaining rooms start at $179***, this offer includes accommodations in the Mountain Creek
Inn; admission to the Sky High Hot Air Balloon Festival; tickets to make tiedye T-shirts for two adults and two children at the Festival on Saturday or
Sunday; breakfast in the Plant Room or Country Kitchen; admission to Callaway
Gardens and its many attractions; and use of the Mountain Creek Inn Fitness
Center. This package is also available in the Southern Pine Cottages and
Mountain Creek Villas.
Don’t delay. Call now for reservations at 1-800-CALLAWAY (225-5292) or make reservations online at www.callawaygardens.com
.
Callaway Gardens ® , is in Pine Mountain, Ga., 60 minutes southwest of
Atlanta and 30 minutes north of Columbus.
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* Ballooning is dependent on safe weather conditions including wind velocity and direction.
** Fee
***Rate is per night, based on double occupancy and availability in the
Mountain Creek Inn. Some restrictions apply. Rates also are available for the Southern Pine Cottages and Mountain Creek Villas.
About Callaway Gardens
For 60 years, Callaway Gardens has provided “a place of relaxation, inspiration and a better understanding of the living world” for millions of

visitors. Owned and operated by the non-profit Ida Cason Callaway
Foundation, Callaway Gardens includes a garden, resort, preserve and residential community on thousands of acres in Pine Mountain,
Georgia. Highlights include a butterfly conservatory, horticultural center, discovery center, chapel, inland beach, nature trails and special events throughout the year.
In addition, Callaway Gardens offers nearly 80,000 square feet of meeting space, 685 guest rooms, restaurants, shops, golf, tennis, fishing and more.
Five unique, close-knit residential communities — with custom home sites, lakefront properties and cottages on the golf course — offer an ideal home away from home or full-time residence.
Callaway Gardens is home to a 4,610-acre forest preserve which is under conservation easement. This conserved, sustainably-managed land is used for biological studies and environmental education programs.
Callaway Gardens 14 th Annual Sky High Balloon Festival
Schedule of Events
Friday, August 31
10 a.m.-8 p.m. Swimming, Miniature Golf, Table Tennis,
Shuffleboard, Giant Chess and Checkers, Aqua Island*, Light Striker
Laser Tag*
3 p.m.-10 p.m. Sports on Big-Screen TVs at the Beach Bar
4 p.m. Half-price Special Event Admission Begins ($12.50/adult;
$6.25/child ages 6 to 12)
4 p.m.-7 p.m. Callaway Gardens Farmers Market
6:30 p.m.-9 p.m. Live Music: Sons of Samson (Also half-hour set following Balloon Glow)
Dusk Balloon Glow on Robin Lake Beach (Wind and weather conditions permitting)
Saturday, September 1
6 a.m. Beach Gate Open (Half-Price Special Event Admission until 9 a.m. Free for military and Annual Passholders)
6 a.m.-9 a.m. Columbus Exchange Club Pancake Breakfast ($5 per person)
7:15 a.m. Balloon Launch (Wind and weather conditions permitting)

9 a.m.-3 p.m. Classic Car Show at the Beach Dome
10 a.m.-8 p.m. Aqua Island*, Light Striker Laser Tag*, Tie-dye Tshirts*, Miniature Golf, Table Tennis, Shuffleboard, Giant Chess and
Checkers
11 a.m. Disc Dog Demonstration
11 a.m.-4 p.m. Face Painting*; Kids Zone: Giant Slide*, Trampoline
Extreme* and more
Noon-10 p.m. College Football on Big-Screen TVs at the Beach Bar
1:30 p.m. Live Music: Forgotten Hills
3:30 p.m. Disc Dog Demonstration
4 p.m. Live Music: Kona
6 p.m. Balloon Launch (Wind and weather conditions permitting)
7p.m. Live Music: Excite Party Band
Tethered balloon rides* will be available throughout the day, wind and weather conditions permitting.
Sunday, September 2
6 a.m. Beach Gate Open (Half-Price Special Event Admission until 9 a.m. Free for military and Annual Passholders)
6 a.m.-9 a.m. Columbus Exchange Club Pancake Breakfast ($5 per person)
7:15 a.m. Balloon Launch (Wind and weather conditions permitting)
7:50 a.m./8 a.m. Callaway Gardens Fitness Series 5K Run*/Triathlon*
10 a.m.-8 p.m. Aqua Island*, Light Striker Laser Tag*, Tie-dye Tshirts*, Miniature Golf, Table Tennis, Shuffleboard, Giant Chess and
Checkers
11 a.m. Disc Dog Demonstration
11 a.m.-4 p.m. Face Painting*; Kids Zone: Giant Slide*, Trampoline
Extreme* and more
Noon-10 p.m. Sports on Big-Screen TVs at the Beach Bar

1:30 p.m. Live Music: Francisco Vidal Trio
3:30 p.m. Disc Dog Demonstration
4:30p.m. Live Music: Whisky Bent
6 p.m. Balloon Launch (Wind and weather conditions permitting)
7 p.m. Live Music: Southside of the Tracks
Dusk U.S. Army Silver Wings Pyrotechnic Skydiving Demo (Wind and weather conditions permitting)
Dusk Balloon Glow on Robin Lake Beach (Wind and weather conditions permitting)
Tethered balloon rides* will be available throughout the day, wind and weather conditions permitting.
Monday, September 3
10 a.m.-6 p.m. Aqua Island*, Light Striker Laser Tag*, Tie-dye Tshirts*, Miniature Golf, Table Tennis, Shuffleboard, Giant Chess and
Checkers
Noon-6 p.m. Sports on Big-Screen TVs at the Beach Bar
Please Note
• Activities marked * require an additional fee
• Events and activities are subject to change without notice or in case of inclement weather. No rain checks.
• Guests will be issued a wristband, which should be worn at all times and will be required for re-entry should a guest choose to leave.