Start Your Colorado Summer on a High Note in Telluride

Photo: Palma Caruso

Eighteenth-century France was the birthplace of hot air ballooning, with science teacher Pilâtre de Rozier launching a sheep, a duck and a rooster aloft in the first untethered attempt before lifting off himself in the original manned flight of the Montgolfier brothers’ invention. These days, ballooning events turn summer-into-fall skies festive in Colorado, where a bevy of towns from Craig to Colorado Springs host colorful ascensions.

But it’s Telluride that kicks off the season the first weekend in June, with buoyant beauties making the most of the town’s dramatic box canyon setting amid the towering San Juans. Starting at 6 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, hissing propane-fueled burners put a positive spin on inflation, bringing the bright envelopes to life. Come Saturday dusk, crowds mingle in the National Historic Landmark District downtown for an up-close look as the glowing tethered crafts light the night.

Telluride Balloon Festival, June 6-8, Telluride Town Park; Main Street GLO, June 7, 7:45-9:15 p.m., Colorado Ave. Admission is free.