Balloons take to the sky this weekend

The three-day Pennington Balloon Championships, the nation’s top hot air balloon festival now in its sixth year, is expected to draw more than 90,000 spectators and 60 participating balloons this weekend along Perkins Road and Kenilworth Parkway. There’s a children’s village with pony rides and face painting, an entertainment stage with live music, and aerial demonstrations from U.S. Army parachuting team The Black Daggers. Races start at 6:30 a.m. Aug. 8-10. Free admission and parking.