The countdown is under way for Oswestry’s first balloon festival later this month.

The event will be held at British Ironwork Centre in partnership with Lindstrand Technologies, the Oswestry-based hot air balloon company.

Spectators can expect to see more than 50 colourful hot air balloons lighting up the sky over the bank holiday weekend, August 26 to 28.

The event will also include various fun displays and activities to help raise money for Nightingale House Hospice, a Wrexham charity that provide vital palliative care for terminally-ill patients.

Lorna Hankey, marketing and events assistant at Lindstrand, said: “There will be two flights a day, an extreme motorcross display, a small air show and on Sunday there will be a ‘night glow’ where balloons will light up the sky and the burners will fire up in time of music.

“We’ve had a wide range of positive feedback – there has been a great response and fingers crossed we’ll get sunshine for the weekend.”

An exciting hot air balloon race known as Key Grab will take place where pilots and their teams will be racing to grab the keys from the sky.

The balloons are all different shapes with some measuring as much as 100ft. A few will be taking off from the arena across the weekend, giving the public of close-up view of their graceful flights.

Tickets are available at www.oswestryballoonfestival.co.uk