Great Pershing Balloon Derby

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The Great Pershing Balloon Derby is a hot air balloon festival named in honor of General John J. Pershing and held every year since 1977 over the Labor Day weekend near Brookfield, Missouri.

The balloon derby is held in conjunciton with many other festivities in nearby Brookfield including beauty contests, concerts, parades, and a fly-in at the local airport.

The derby itself is held at the Myron Peacher Memorial Launch Site, an open field on State Road FF about two miles north of U.S. Highway 36 between Brookfield and Laclede, Missouri.

Launches are generally at dusk and dawn on Saturday and Sunday and at dawn on Monday (Labor Day). A night glow is usually held at sunset on Sunday evening.