Hudson, Hot Air Affair :: Hudson, Wisconsin

FRIDAY, FEB. 1 | SATURDAY, FEB. 2 | SUNDAY, FEB. 3

2008 SCHEDULE

TASTE OF NEW ORLEANS
Enjoy New Orleans food and drink Hudson area fine restaurants and pubs. Read more...

MARDI GRAS SUPER SALE & ALL THOSE BEADS at Hudson retail stores. Winter clearance sale and events specials plus free beads with every purchase. Read more...

MARDI GRAS BENEFIT CONCERT & SILENT AUCTION
Jazz concert and silent auction Saturday, February 2 7:30-9:00 pm to raise funds for the medical bus program in New Orleans. Three jazz performances...Read more...

January 17-25:
CHILDREN’S COLORING AFFAIR
Coordinated by St. Croix Valley YMCA, Associated Bank-Hudson, Hudson Star-Observer and Hudson Schools. Children’s pictures on display at YMCA, Hudson Star-Observer and Associated Bank locations through Hot Air Affair.

Friday, January 18, 5-8 pm:
HUDSON HOT AIR AFFAIR KICK-OFF at Dick’s Bar & Grill
Come enjoy “Mardi Gras—Balloons and All That Jazz” at Dick’s. Costumes, prizes, trivia games and fun. map

Saturday, January 19, 1-4 pm:
A FAMILY AFFAIR AT YMCA CAMP ST. CROIX
Learn & see what its like to pilot and be a ground crew for a hot air balloon. Try your skill at orienteering around camp, take a hike or go sledding. Crafts to make and warm delicious camp style refreshments along with Irish Fare from Paddy Ryan’s Irish Pub. Free and no reservations required.

Friday, January 25, 6:00-9 pm:
CANDLELIGHT SKI AND HIKE at Willow River State Park
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT! Due to circumstances beyond our control, the CANDLELIGHT SKI AND HIKE event on Friday, January 25th at Willow River State Park has been cancelled this year. We're sorry for any inconvenience this has caused.

Sunday, January 27, 2:00-4:00 pm:
FAMILY DAY ACTIVITY, Phipps Center for the Arts
Children of all ages and their families will create costumes to wear as they walk behind “The Phipps is for Kids” banner for the “Mardi Gras…Balloons and All That Jazz” Torchlight Parade on Feb. 1. All materials provided for this free hands-on art-making activity. Call 715-386-2305 to sign up.

BALLOONING EDUCATION PROGRAM. Classroom programs on hot air ballooning in Hudson and area schools. Programs coordinated by Hot Air Affair Committee, pilots, Viking Electronics, Culligan-Stillwater, Empire Bucket and The UPS Store-Hudson.

10:00 am: MARDI GRAS SUPER SALE & ALL THOSE BEADS at Hudson retail stores. Winter clearance sale and events specials plus free beads with every purchase. Shop Back to Books, Elan Clothing/Dilly Dally in the Alley Gifts, Et Cetera, SEASONS on St. Croix Gallery, Grapevine Interiors “AT HOME”, The Purple Tree, My Sister’s Garden/Hillside Farm and Garden Center, lavender thymes, Memories by Marnie, Art Doyle’s Spokes and Pedals, Knoke’s Chocolates, Hudson Flower Shop, Kelley Frame and Fine Art Galleries, CocoBello and Abigail Page Antiques.

HOT AIR AFFAIR GEOCACHING BASH throughout the Hudson area. Pick up a coordinates sheet at M&I Bank, the Hudson Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau, Best Western Hudson House lobby, Wisconsin Welcome Center (south side of I-94 on frontage road), Art Doyles Spokes & Pedals and at the Hot Air Affair Souvenier booth at EP Rock School on Saturday. Geocache all weekend and turn in your log sheet to M&I Bank or mail it to P.O. Box 744, Hudson, WI 54016 by Feb. 10 for your chance to win prizes.

4:00 pm: “MARDI GRAS FESTIVAL”, sponsored by The Nova. Enjoy New Orleans music, food and all those beads!!! Come join the fun of this year’s southern theme. Did you know cocktails were invented in New Orleans?

7:00 pm: BINGO THE NIGHT AWAY, sponsored by Hudson Golf Club. Enjoy bingo while supporting the Hudson Boosters fundraiser. Hudson Golf Club, 201 Carmichael Road.

7:08 pm: TORCHLIGHT
“MARDI GRAS… BALLOONS AND ALL THAT JAZZ” PARADE, FEATURING PRIZES FOR THE BEST OVERALL PARADE UNIT, THE BEST UNIT BY HOT AIR BALLOONISTS, THE BEST “MARDI GRAS… BALLOONS AND ALL THAT JAZZ” UNIT AND THE BEST KAZOO MARCHING BAND. Hot air balloon pilots and crews displaying blasts of fire. Parade participants line up at 6:00 pm at Wells Fargo Bank parking lot and parade travels down Second Street. Prizes in each category. Call 715-386-8332, 715-386-6217 or 715-381-2050 by noon on February 1 to register. Parade sponsors include Viking Electronics, Barker’s Bar & Grill/San Pedro Cafe, Sports Club Inc., Dibbo Hotel, St. Croix Self Service Storage, Hilltop Service, Winzer Stube, Hudson Bowling Center/Plaza Lounge, Shorty Cleaner Launderers Inc., O’Connell Family Funeral Homes & Cremation Services, Inc., Valley Agency, Inc.-Dennis Lee, Culver’s-Hudson, Gavic Construction, Allstate Insurance-Craig Hofland, WESTconsin Credit Union, Target-Hudson, WalMart, Lillians, Realty Executives Select and Paddy Ryan’s Irish Pub.

FIREWORKS DISPLAY, immediately after parade over Lakefront Park and St. Croix River. Sponsored by Andersen Corporation. Grand finale to downtown festivities.

9:00 pm: KARAOKE at Plaza Lounge, Plaza 94.

10:00 pm: DANCE at Dick’s Bar & Grill, 111 Walnut Street.

10:00 pm: LIVE MUSIC by Touched at Dibbo Hotel, 517 Second Street.

7:30 am: BALLOON LAUNCH, nearly 40 hot air balloons, including special shapes, in competitive flight. E.P. Rock school grounds (13th and Summer, on the Hill). Concessions and souvenirs available.

7:00 am-noon: PANCAKE BREAKFAST, Masonic Temple, 209 Locust Street. Sponsored by Masonic Lodge #56. All you care to eat breakfast—pancakes, scrambled eggs, biscuits & sausage gravy, fruit, sweet rolls, beverages. $6.50 adults, $3.50 children 10 and younger.

8:00 am-8:00 pm: MARKETPLACE AND CRAFT FAIR, E.P. Rock School. Craft and souvenir selection with special winter apparel, ballooning and Hot Air Affair emphasis. Visit the Hot Air Affair booth for souvenirs, Hot Air Affair apparel and collectibles. Hot food and drinks available in cafeteria by local non-profit groups.

9:00 am: WINTER SPORTS OLYMPICS INCLUDING VOLLEYBALL IN THE SNOW, DARTS AND HORSESHOES, sponsored by GB Curlys, Burkhardt. Volleyball is $40.00 team entry, darts is $25 team entry and horseshoes is $25 team entry. Prizes for all events. Call 715-386-5233 for team registration. GB Curlys, 1103 County Road A, Burkhardt.

10:00 am: PETS AT THE PLAZA, sponsored by Angel’s Pet World, Linde’s Hallmark, True Value Hardware, WESTConsin Credit Union, Dunn Bros Coffee. Pet costume contest at 11:00 am with “Mardi Gras… Balloons and All That Jazz” theme. $50 first prize. Valentine pictures with The Button Guy.

10:00 am: GEOCACHING 101 beginners class to learn about the fun, family adventure of geocaching. Equipment will be shown and you’ll learn how to get coordinates and search for hidden treasures. E.P. Rock School cafeteria.

10:00 am-4 pm: OCTAGON HOUSE MUSEUM guided tours and learn about historical ballooning, sponsored by Citizens State Bank. Admission. Free hot cider and snacks.

12:00 – 3:00 pm: MINNESOTA KITE SOCIETY, E.P. Rock school grounds, sponsored by Xcel Energy. Society members provide a kite ground display, stunt kite demos, fighter kites. Kites for kids of all ages available for sale.

1:00 pm: SMOOSH BOARD COMPETITION, E.P. Rock school grounds. Hot Air Affair’s wackiest winter sport with 4 people on the same smoosh boards. Call 386-7300 or 381-2050 for team registration, $10 per team. Prizes for best team in competition plus best “Mardi Gras…Balloons and All That Jazz” costumes. Smoosh boards available. Sponsored by Resco Print Graphics.

1:00 – 3:00 pm: CRAFTS FOR KIDS “Mardi Gras….Balloons and All That Jazz”, sponsored by First National Community Bank in conjunction with YMCA Camp St. Croix at E.P. Rock School Marketplace. Kids join in making free crafts.

3:00 pm: BALLOON LAUNCH, E.P. Rock school grounds. Optional flight if morning flight launched. Mass ascension if morning flight was canceled.

5:00 – 8:00 pm: FREEDOM TENT CELEBRATES “MARDI GRAS…. BALLOONS AND ALL THAT JAZZ”, sponsored by Freedom Valu Centers, Tent at E.P. Rock school grounds. Free hot refreshments, family fun with music, games and prizes for the kids.

6:30 pm: HOT AIR BALLOON MOON GLOW OR FIELD OF FIRE, E.P. Rock school grounds. Hot air balloons light up the dark so bring your camera for this spectacular event! In case of windy weather, Moon Glow becomes a Field of Fire.

8:00 pm: MARDI GRAS BENEFIT CONCERT, sponsored by The Purple Tree at Faith Community Church. Jazz concert to raise funds for the medical bus program in downtown New Orleans. Bus serves low income residents still facing the challenges of Hurricane Katrina. Free will offering appreciated.

9:00 pm: KARAOKE at Plaza Lounge, Plaza 94.

9:00 pm: KARAOKE at Sports Club Inc., 601 Second Street.

10:00 pm: DANCE at Dick’s Bar & Grill, 111 Walnut Street.

10:00 pm: LIVE MUSIC by Lasher at Dibbo Hotel, 517 Second Street.

7:30 am: BALLOON LAUNCH, nearly 40 hot air balloons and special shapes in second competitive flight. E.P. Rock school grounds.

7:30 am – 12:00 pm: PANCAKE BREAKFAST, sponsored by Hudson Lions Club at the Valley House, Hwy 35 between North Hudson and Houlton. Pancakes, eggs, ham, sausage gravy & biscuits, rolls, beverages. All you care to eat. $6.50 adults, $3.50 children 10 and younger.

12:00 pm: MARDI GRAS SUPER SALE & ALL THOSE BEADS at Hudson retail stores. Winter clearance sale and events specials plus free beads with every purchase.
Shop Back to Books, Elan Clothing/Dilly Dally in the Alley Gifts, Et Cetera, SEASONS on St. Croix Gallery, Grapevine Interiors “AT HOME”, The Purple Tree, My Sister’s Garden/Hillside Farm and Garden Center, lavender thymes, Memories by Marnie, Art Doyle’s Spokes and Pedals, Knoke’s Chocolates, Hudson Flower Shop, Kelley Frame and Fine Art Galleries, CocoBello and Abigail Page Antiques.

12:00 - 4 pm: OCTAGON HOUSE MUSEUM guided tours and learn about historical ballooning, sponsored by Citizens State Bank. Admission. Free hot cider and snacks.

2:00 pm: THIRTEENTH ANNUAL CHILI COOK-OFF, Dick’s Bar & Grill. The hottest, the best, enter your favorite warm up chili concoction and you could win a prize. Sponsored by Dick’s Bar & Grill, call 386-5222 for details and registration by February 2. Limited entries. Cash, trophies and fabulous prizes.

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