Snapshot: Balloons Over Horseshoe Bay Resort

While countless others pursued typical Easter weekend activities – egg hunts, family gatherings, church services, and/or drinking an irresponsible(?) number of mimosas at brunch – "Snapshot"explored an overall much more uplifting tradition, one that relatively few get to experience.

"Statistically, I think they say it's less than one percent of one percent of the population that's ever been around, in, crewed for, or flown in a balloon," says Martin Philpott, a 30-year hot air balloon pilot with Bixby, Okla.-based Ultramagic Balloons and a fourth-year participant in Horseshoe Bay Resort's annual Easter weekend balloon festival. The fest celebrated çits sixth edition March 30-31 with several thousand participants (the majority from Austin, according to organizers) enjoying food, live music, balloon demos, and other activities at its 7-acre Hill Country ranch. Conversations with festivalgoers revealed a deep-rooted subculture – a fairly uncommon one in Central Texas but gaining momentum each year – that generates impact beyond mere spectacle.

See more online at austinchronicle.com/arts. Want to pitch an event, happening, idea, or person for “Snapshot”? Email the author/photog: dhall@austinchronicle.com.