The Preakness Celebration Hot Air Balloon Festival, starting May 19, features 21 fanciful balloons, and offers both tethered and untethered balloon rides. It closes with a ceremony for wounded veterans on May 21, Armed Forces Day. Photo courtesy of Friendship Hot Air Balloon Co.

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Ron Broderick, known as the Balloon Meister, is ready to take you up, up and away into the west Howard County sky before bringing you down to earth at the Turf Valley resort in Ellicott City.

If you don’t want to take the 30 to 45 minute sky ride in one of the 21 balloons on display, you could rise 60 to 80 feet, then descend, in a tethered balloon.

The balloons will be glowing from 8:30 to 8:50 p.m., on May 19 and 20. The last shuttle back to the fairgrounds will leave at 10 p.m.

The festival ends at 8 a.m. on May 21, which is Armed Forces Day. People are invited to nominate a wounded veteran to fly in the Operation Getaway closing ceremony by emailing flights@ballooningusa.com.