International Balloon Festival of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
The International Balloon Festival of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu offers 9 days of activities where more than 125 hot-air balloons of all sorts and colours scatter the sky of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, the balloon capital. Over 300 000 visitors come each year to marvel at the great splendour and grace of these flying balloons piloted by participants from all over the world.
A hot air balloon can fly due to the fact that the warm air is lighter than the cold air. Summer days, when the sun warms the ground, there is a phenomenon which, according to the thermal capacity of elements, creates more or less warm zones and whirlwinds which represent a risk to the balloon. Flying early in the morning and at the end of the day, the ground is cold enough and the thermal phenomenon are practically absent, what allows pilots to fly safely.
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