From the Darkroom: Hot air balloon rides, fireworks (not at the same time) at Firefall '83

Children climb out of a hot-air balloon after a short ride over the Firefall grounds in this image, which was published with several others in the News-Leader on July 10, 1983.

Firefall was a community-wide Fourth of July celebration that ran from 1982 to 2008. The City of Springfield suspended the celebration due to a lack of funds during the economic recession.

With the weather cooperating, Firefall ’83 went off with a few hitches on a Saturday near the Springfield Regional Airport after being flooded out Monday. Spectators enjoyed games, bands, crafts, and other attractions during the day, even leading up to a fireworks display after dusk.

The hot air balloon rides were sponsored by KSPR-TV. The area near the airport was filled to capacity with thousands of people by the time the fireworks started.

This image is part of a much larger collection of historically rich photographs from the News-Leader’s photo archive. Each week, the Springfield-Greene County Library will tap into this vast collection and present an interesting image “from the darkroom" and share its history. This image is presented in partnership between the Springfield-Greene County Library District and the Springfield News-Leader. For more historical images of the Ozarks, visit: thelibrary.org/fromthedarkroom .

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: From the Darkroom: Hot air balloon rides, fireworks (not at the same time) at Firefall '83