What’s big, yellow, half the length of a football field, weights 1,984 pounds and can fly through the air at 25 mph?

It’s a rare GEFA-FLUG thermal airship.

And one of them will be at the Color the Skies Hot Air Balloon event at Ripon’s Mistlin Sports Park this Saturday and Sunday starting at 6 a.m.

It is being brought to the festival by Cheers Aerial Media.

The German built airship will be piloted by David Wakefield. It is 135 feet long , 42 feet in diameter, and 55 feet tall. Unlike most blimps, it uses hot air for lift instead of helium.

The flight time with one person is about three hours while four people aboard shortens it to an hour.’

The airship is primarily used to display two banners providing more than 5,000 square feet of advertising space that covers an area seven times larger than a typical highway billboard.

Color the Skies is the largest hot air balloon festival in Central California. Some 15 hot air balloons are expcted this weekend

The festival begins both days at dawn – 6 a.m. – with a prayer and the National Anthem. What follows is what the Ripon Chamber calls “an absolutely gorgeous setting of hot air balloons inflating and lifting into the skies.”

Tethered rides are available for $10 per ticket. Those interested can jump inside and have a sneak peak of how feels to be inside of an actual hot air balloon.

A Saturday-only Fun Run is scheduled to kick off at 7:30 a.m. with 5K and 10K races. A one-fourth mile Fun Run for youngsters is scheduled to take place at 9 o’clock. Pre-registration has ended but the event is still open with race-day registration kicking off at 6 a.m. Cost is $35 for the 10K, $30 for the 5K and $10 for the Fun Run.

Color the Skies will also include a breakfast (scrambled eggs, sausage links and a beverage), kite performances, candy drops from the sky, kite making and kite flying.

The community stage will offer a variety of entertainment and several local authors.

Bay Area sky divers will be there on both days and the Patriot Jet Team will fill the skies on Saturday only.

A toy giveaway (8 o’clock), carnival (9 o’clock), Bay Area Skydivers (9:30), Air George Helicopter (10 o’clock), Patriots Jet Team flyover / kite candy drop (10:30), and the Ravioli Clown Show (11:30) are also on the morning schedule for both days.

There are also carnival rides. A $20 presale for unlimited ride wristbands can be had at the Ripon Chamber of Commerce (929 W. Main St.) and the Ripon Police Department (250 N. Wilma Ave.) or $30 on the day of the event.

For more information, call the Ripon Chamber Foundation at 209.599.7519 or log on to info@riponchamberfoundation.org.

Color the Skies, in addition, will feature a Sparkles the Clown Show and local authors on stage doing a reading.

Cost is $5 parking per vehicle.

Other fees include the Fun Run, breakfast  and carnival tickets.

A $20 presale for unlimited ride wristbands can be had at the Ripon Chamber of Commerce (929 W. Main St.) and the Ripon Police Department (250 N. Wilma Ave.) or $30 on the day of the event.

For more information, call the Ripon Chamber Foundation at 209.599.7519 or log on to www.riponchamberfoundation.org.