The third annual Ceres Skies the Limit Hot Air Balloon Festival will take place Saturday at Ceres River Bluff Regional Park on Hatch Road.

The best part of the largely morning event – the launching of five to seven hot-air balloons – will require visitors to be in place before 6 a.m. on the soccer fields. Those who come later can still enjoy the sight of the RE/MAX hot-air balloons that will remain until 1 p.m. for tethered flights – if there are no issues with wind – as well as a festival atmosphere that features food and arts and crafts vendors as well as music by a local band.

The gates to the park will open at 5 a.m. for first-come, first-served parking at the park and the event starts with balloons launching sometime close to 6 a.m.

Balloonists will be arriving between 4:30 a.m. and 5 a.m. to get ready for the launch after the 6 a.m.

“Some people are volunteering to help them set up and then they’re still asking for volunteers to be chasers to kind of help them put it away afterwards,” said Brandy Meyer, president of the Ceres Chamber of Commerce and member of the festival committee.

While the balloons are launching, air traffic into the nearby Modesto Airport will be temporarily halted since the park is directly beneath the approach zone.