Hot air balloons are a joy to watch, but have you ever wanted to get up close and personal to them? The South Baldwin Chamber of Commerce (SBCC) is seeking volunteers for the Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival May 2-4 at OWA Parks and Resort in Foley.

It takes a lot of people to host a festival, and the Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival is no different. Rachel Spear, SBCC event director, said the festival requires around 300 volunteers from start to finish.

"The work begins well before the event with T-shirt folding, sponsor, volunteer and pilot bag packing and continues after the event with our cleanup crew," Spear said. "The biggest need is for balloon crew."

Balloon crew volunteers assist the pilots with inflating the hot air balloons and chasing and packing them away after the flight. Each balloon requires a crew of three to four just to inflate.

Other volunteer opportunities include selling beverages and merchandise and helping with children's activities and the tethered balloon rides.

"Each volunteer shift is between three to four hours. Volunteers receive an event T-shirt, OWA swag and access to the Volunteer Appreciation tent sponsored by The Dumpster Guy. The tent will include dinner each night and drinks for the volunteers to fuel up before or after their shifts," Spear said. "Volunteering with the balloon crew is a fun and unique way to help with the event. It is something that for most in this area only happens once a year. Being next to a giant hot air balloon is a magical experience."

The requirements are minimal, and teenagers as young as 16 years of age can volunteer for everything except working the bars. Bar volunteers must be 21 years or older. It is easy to sign up, too. If you are interested in volunteering at this year's festival, visit www.gulfcoastballoonfestival.com. While registering, volunteers can select the area and time that best fits their schedule, but don't wait too long because the shifts fill fast.