The Telluride Balloon Festival

Colorado's coolest little festival is this weekend.

It's something I'll never forget. Standing on Main Street in downtown Telluride a year ago for the annual Saturday evening Telluride Baloon festival "Main Street Glow." What a cool and unique experience. If you've not been, make plans to attend this year. It's great family fun.

It's true, the Telluride Balloon Festival is one of Colorado's smaller festivals. However, it's one of the most beautiful. On Sunday morning dozens of hot air balloons launch from Town Park on the east edge of town. Again, be sure and be in town on Saturday evening of the festival. The balloon pilots inflate their balloons along Main Street and "fire them up" for the "Glow."

The weather is key. Telluride's box canyon can be a challeging place to launch a balloon. The valley, of course, is surrounded by the San Juan Mountains and winds have a tendency to swirl. If Sunday mornings weather is clear and the wind calm, the balloon launch is like nothing you've seen before. The festival is free.

Right now, the weather's not looking too bad. Here's the National Weather Service forecast for Telluride...