LAKELAND, Fla. — Hot-air balloons will take to the skies Friday in Lakeland. 

The Up Up and Away Florida a Hot Air Balloon Festival takes flight starting today at the the Sun n’ Fun Expo Campus. 

The three-day festival will feature hundreds of colorful hot-air balloons, balloon rides, live music, food , arts and crafts and children events. 

The first balloon launch is today at 4:30 p.m.

The pilot of the Bimbo Bakery balloon traveled to Lakeland from Texas for the festival. It will be one of 30 balloons you can see this weekend. 

There will be launches and a ballon glow each day of the festival, which runs through Sunday.

Organizers said Florida is made for hot air ballooning and they hope to make it an annual tradition in Polk County. 

"When you think of Lakeland, it’s just a booming city," said Chris Antonious, the managing director of Up Up and Away Florida. "It’s made for this sort of sport so to speak. 

"It is a sport, these are some of the best athletes in the world. You see Bimbo here, he’s ready, he’s excited and I think it’s made for a niche event like this."