The South Baldwin Chamber of Commerce's 3rd Annual Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival will be held June 15-17 and, as always, the only stick in the mud that could affect the high-flying event would be a grumpy ol' Mother Nature.

"We had 60,000 last year and we're most definitely expecting that to grow," said Shana Fowler, director of communication for SBCC.

Parking and admission are free to the event held at Foley Soccer Complex on U.S. Highway 98 West. Besides the spectacle of brightly-colored balloons in the air, weather permitting, within two hours of sunrise and two hours before sunset, event-goers will have a chance to participate in a NASA education demonstration, arts and crafts, live entertainment, helicopter rides, and see remote control airplanes, the Children's Village, and the Bama Air Dog Show.

"They are rescue dogs that have been trained to do tricks," said Fowler of the Bama Air Dogs, which will put on two shows each on Saturday and Sunday at 8 a.m. and 2 p.m.

The three-day event begins Friday, June 15, when the festival grounds open at 9 a.m. The event closes Sunday, June 17, at 5 p.m. In between, however, are such entertainment venues as the Summer Arts Academy, Little Rock Missionary Baptist Church, Bro'Ken (Kenneth Brown), D.J. & Entertainment by Tim Brown, Cool Change, C.C. & The Midnight Groovers and lots more.

For a complete schedule of the entertainment stage and all festival events, including the Motorcycle Poker Run, consult the Web site at www.gulfcoastballoonfestival.com.

Free BRATS bus service to and from the festival will be available Friday, June 15, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday, June 16, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Pick-up locations are Foley Elementary School and Heritage Park in Foley.

Because ballooning is so dependent on good weather, Fowler said festival-goers will be able to participate in lots of other activities and entertainment should weather conditions not cooperate. If all goes well, two hot air balloons will be on display on Saturday, Fowler said.

Title sponsor for the Balloon Festival is at&t The Real Yellow Pages. The presenting sponsor is the City of Foley.