<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>338184</docID> <postdate>2025-02-13 07:28:01</postdate> <headline>New faces at the March balloon festival</headline> <body><div> <p><img class="size-full wp-image-338185" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/hot-air-balloons.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="472" /></p> <caption>New hot-air balloons coming to Canberra... Axel the Tiger and Simba the Lion.</caption> <p lang="x-size-12"><strong>Two new specially shaped hot-air balloons – Simba the Lion and Axel the Tiger – will be among the more than 40 balloons filling the skies during the Canberra Balloon Spectacular from March 15 to March 23.</strong></p> <div> <div>The balloon event will this year separate from the Enlighten Festival and return to its original base at John Dunmore Lang Place, in the Parliamentary Triangle, to provide more space for visitors to view the balloons up close.</div> </div> </div> <div align="center"></div> <div> <p>Daily flight announcements will be made around 6am on the <a href="https://actgovernment.cmail19.com/t/t-l-shuihuk-zthkkhrti-r/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://actgovernment.cmail19.com/t/t-l-shuihuk-zthkkhrti-r/&source=gmail&ust=1739474006629000&usg=AOvVaw1nNCnUTkVzjplEox_zXyWH">Canberra Balloon Spectacular website</a> and the <a href="https://actgovernment.cmail19.com/t/t-l-shuihuk-zthkkhrti-y/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://actgovernment.cmail19.com/t/t-l-shuihuk-zthkkhrti-y/&source=gmail&ust=1739474006629000&usg=AOvVaw3qu5_NBXSve8MAgZSBNC2o">Events ACT Facebook page</a> to confirm if the weather conditions will allow the balloons to take off.</p> <p>If balloons can’t fly, some may be inflated and tethered at John Dunmore Lang Place so visitors can walk among them and take photos.</p> </div> </body>