Grounded: Balloon festival's other draws help keep spirits up

Like This? Click Here to Recommend View larger image Bill Brown, left, of Winchester, pours some wine from North Mountain Vineyard and Winery for Rudy and Diane McCumber, of Dunkirk, Md., during the Hot Air Balloon, Wine and Music Festival at Long Branch Historic House and Farm near Millwood on Saturday. Andrew Thayer/Daily View larger image Dave Huss, right, of Fairfax, lights up a cigar that he purchased from Mathew Hayes, of John B. Hayes Tobacconist in Winchester, which had a tent set up at Long Branch on Saturday. Andrew Thayer/Daily View larger image The No Drama Band plays for the crowd during the Hot Air Balloon, Wine and Music Festival at Long Branch near Millwood on Saturday. Andrew Thayer/Daily View larger image The No Drama Band plays for the crowd during the Hot Air Balloon, Wine and Music Festival at the Historic Long Branch near Millwood on Saturday. Andrew Thayer/Daily View larger image The autumn color of maple leaves are set against the backdrop of Historic Long Branch during the Hot Air Balloon Wine and Music Festival near Millwood on Saturday. Andrew Thayer/Daily

By Sally Voth -- svoth@nvdaily.com

MILLWOOD -- Clouds, chills and showers weren't enough to dampen the spirits of those attending the 13th annual Hot Air Balloon, Wine and Music Festival at Long Branch Historic House and Farm on Saturday.

With the cold, damp weather grounding the balloons, the focus shifted to some of the festival's other draws.

Cindy Ceulbert and Lori Bigham, both from Winchester, were stocking up on wine to take home. They were "listen[ing] to music, drinking the wine, enjoying the whole festival as it is with rain," Ceulbert said.

"It's sad that this is not going to be a big turnout [because of the rain]," Bigham said.

She and Ceulbert said it's important to support the annual festival, which over the course of the weekend featured a car show, bands, food vendors, crafters, children's activities and wine tastings from more than a dozen area vineyards.

"When it's not raining, it's beautiful," Bigham said. "You would see lots of balloons lit up."

Ceulbert added, "Just to see the mountains and the valley. This time of the year, the valley, it's beautiful."

Bigham was looking on the bright side, weather-wise.

"Five or six degrees colder, you would be stepping in snow," she said. "It takes a diehard to come out to support. This is a wine lover's paradise."

"Love for the wine" drew another Winchester resident out to the soggy fields.

"We've already bought like six cases," Holly Jones said, standing under a large wine tent.

She said she's been to more Long Branch festivals where the balloons couldn't go up than ones where they could lift off.

"You know, Virginia valley weather," Jones explained. "[I] always listen to the bands. It's always good music here. The wine tasting is awesome. The people that man these tables must have stamina because even when it's as cold as it is today, it's always delightful. This festival is awesome. The vendors are awesome."

Marcia Lynch set up a tent to sell her wares -- stuffed quilt balloons in a variety of designs and patterns. The Harrisonburg resident has come to the festival as a spectator before, but this was her first time as a vendor.

"There was one [hot air balloon] up here today, but we don't know if it launched here or not," Lynch said.

Although she has never gone up in a balloon herself, she enjoys photographing them, and has traveled to Albuquerque, N.M., several times for balloon shows.

"On a pretty day, it's very nice to see them go up, especially if the sky's a nice clear blue," Lynch said.