More than 30 hot air balloons will dot Bowling Green skies this weekend during the U.S. Bank Balloon Classic presented by Houchens Industries.

“We’re throwing back to a nostalgic look to where we’re focusing on balloons and balloon events. We offer a special thanks to all our sponsors for making this event possible,” said Debbie Hills, United Way of Southern Kentucky president and chief executive officer. “We hope the community will come out. It’s a very family-oriented event.”

The event used to be called the Balloon Classic before it became Balloons, Tunes & BBQ. Now, it is returning to its roots.

“We don’t have the big stage this year. We don’t have the tunes,” said Mandy Hicks, United Way senior director of marketing and communications. “This is the 60th anniversary of the United Way, so we wanted to go retro.”

The Balloon Classic will be Friday through Sunday at Bowling Green-Warren County Regional Airport. Admission and parking will be free. Tethered balloon rides will be $10. Inflatables will be $10 for an arm band. Concessions and a beer garden will be available.

There will be no big stage at the airport this year, but Mercury Nashville recording artist Canaan Smith will perform at 6 p.m. Thursday outside 643 Sports Bar on Eighth Avenue. Smith’s debut album, “Bronco,” includes the No. 1 hit “Love You like That.” “Bronco” debuted in the top 5 on Billboard’s country albums chart. The kickoff event is a partnership with WGGC-FM.

Gates open at 3:30 p.m. Friday for Fruit of the Loom Family Night at the airport. The WBKO-TV Kids’ Zone and Inflatable Fair will be available. The Balloon Glow will be at dusk. Tethered rides will start at 5 p.m., weather and wind permitting.

“More than 30 balloons are slightly lifted off the ground and they light at the same time. We do a countdown,” Hicks said.

Gates open shortly after daylight Saturday for the first competitive fly-in and then again at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. The Balloon Classic will feature hot air balloonists competing for $10,000 in prize money. Competitive events will include the Hare and Hound. Inflatables will be available.

“(Pilots) will fly out Saturday afternoon and fly back in Sunday morning,” Hicks said. “That’s when we get the scores together and divvy out the prize money.”

Untethered hot air balloon rides will be available for $200 per person, weather and wind permitting. Rides may be booked at balloonclassicbg.com.

“It’s cool to talk to those pilots,” Hicks said. “They make it a good experience.”

Proceeds will benefit United Way’s 211 Contact Center, which works like 911 except it provides information about health and human services.

“We’re looking to recruit revenue outside the campaign. We’ve been up and running for two months,” Hills said. “We’re averaging 750 to 800 calls a month. We thought we would take 6,000 to 7,500 calls in a year, but we’re on track to take 9,000 calls over a 12-month period.

Community research showed there was a need for a call center, Hills said.

“We’ve gotten calls from every county we serve. We have provided everything from substance abuse treatment to mental health counseling to veterans services to transportation and on and on,” she said. “There aren’t many services at this point that we haven’t had a call or request for.”

People come to the Balloon Classic because of its uniqueness to the area, Hicks said.

“There’s not another hot air balloon spectacular nearby. It’s truly a kind of childlike magic. When I look out at the crowd, it reminds us we have things to be grateful for,” she said. “They’re making memories that they will never forget. People don’t know what the future holds for them. They could be asking for help from the United Way next year.”

— Volunteers are needed to help balloon crews. They help get the balloon off the ground, go where it’s going to land and help take it down. For more information, call 270-745-7532.

— For more information, visit balloonclassicbg.com. To keep up with any changes because of weather, like the U.S. Bank Balloon Classic page, @balloonclassicbg, on Facebook.

— Follow features reporter Alyssa Harvey on Twitter @bgdailynews or visit bgdailynews.com.