People of all ages gathered for the chance to go up, up and away during the second annual Preakness Celebration Balloon Festival at Turf Valley Resort in Ellicott City on May 15 and 16.

The festival served as a prelude to the Preakness Stakes, held at Pimlico, in Baltimore, the second leg of horse racing's coveted Triple Crown.

In the past, the balloon festivities were held in Baltimore, but for the second consecutive year, the festival took place in Howard County. For a fee, visitors were able to take balloon rides, either tethered or fully launched.

While the launches, as well as the balloon glow, (in which the balloons are inflated by their burners at night, making for a spectacular effect) remain the centerpiece of the celebration, there were food booths and other activities available for participants, including the younger set.

PeeWee Preakness featured competitive games for elementary school-aged children and there was also a cooking competition for kids called Kids Cook, mirrored on the popular Food Network Show the Iron Chef America.

The "kids were having a ball. It had a real carnival-type atmosphere and we expect to extend that next year," said Regina Ford, director of marketing for Turf Valley.

Ford said that more than 5,000 people attended on May 15; even more were expected for the next day had the weather cooperated.

To launch a balloon, there must be near-perfect conditions, Ford said. The ground can't be wet and the direction of the wind has to be right, among other factors, she said.

"The event was a huge success for all who came and got to see the balloons. I think it was a spectacle they will remember forever," Ford said.

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