AN international hot air balloon festival is set to lift off in Billericay – in the first event of its kind to grace the skies over the borough.

The buoyant balloon bonanza will be the highlight of the Essex Spectacular, a two-day event at the Barleylands Showground near Billericay over the weekend of August 6 and 7.

The Essex Balloon Festival will be the highlight of the weekend, featuring dozens of iconic hot air balloons of all shapes and sizes taking part in displays and demonstrations at the showground in Barleylands Road.

Among the attractions will be an appearance by a Thomas the Tank Engine balloon, the largest of its kind in the world, as well as a 100ft tall rolled Financial Times newspaper and a collosal Maxwell House coffee jar balloon, used in the brand’s famous TV commercials.

The balloons will be on display during the day on the Saturday, then as light gives way to darkness, a stunning finale will see all the balloons illuminated by their burners in a ‘Night Glow’ display.

This will take the shape of a music and light show, as the balloons light up in a sequence set to music inspired by the James Bond books and films. The evening will finish with a firework display.

Phil Hossack, of balloon operators Sky Power, believes the event will attract a strong response from ballooning enthusiasts across the UK.

He said: “This is a wonderful opportunity to stage a balloon festival and set a new date on the flying calendar.

“The Essex Spectacular will be a regular balloon event to the south east of England for the first time.

“There is a large and passionate ballooning community here who are very excited about having a show so close to home at last.”

The weekend will see a variety of family events including a child zone with circus skills, mini big top, basketball shootout and sponge-chucking antics.

For teenagers and young-at-heart adults there will be a number of simulators and games.

Essex Spectacular event manager, Paul Sayer, said: “It’s almost unbelievable that a year ago this was little more than an idea.”

For full details, visit www.essexspectacular.co.uk