Derald Young looks over Freeport while taking riders up in the hot air balloon Saturday evening.

Adela Hambrick, 4, helps crew workers lay out the hot air balloon. 

Katrina Kelley (front) and Faith Waisanen of Damn Yankee Balloons pull back ropes tethered to the hot air balloon while setting it up for lift-off.  

Mila and Toby Smith, 4, of Freeport, watch the balloon rise into the air with their parents.

Derald Young, owner of Damn Yankee Balloons, prepares the hot air balloon for take off Saturday evening.

Matt Conklin, a crew member with Damn Yankee Balloons, pulls back a rope to lift the balloon into the air.

Paul Englehart of Damn Yankee Balloons works on the hot air balloon’s inner mechanisms before taking flight.

Kirsi Waisanen, 9, watches from afar as workers prepare the balloon.

Nate Clark pulls a rope tethered to the hot air balloon to lift it off the ground.

Crew workers do the final preparations on the balloon before taking riders.