Perrin Grymes, 2, stood on her tippy-toes in tiny pink Converse tennis shoes, trying desperately to see over hundreds of people at the RiverRocks hot air balloon glow in Coolidge Park on Saturday night.
Although she would have much rather touched the balloon, her mother said, Perrin gazed on, wide-eyed, as balloons filled the park and onlookers muttered little more than "ohhhh" or "ahhhh " or "look at that one."
The start to Chattanooga's newest festival has been anything but rocky. RiverRocks is officially in full swing until Oct. 10, meaning the next eight days are full of paddling, running, biking and family time.
Mike McGauley, RiverRocks organizer, said the event aims to attract more than 50,000 people, 4,000 of whom are participating in at least one of 120 events.
"The idea is to get people out to different venues," McGauley said. "It's designed to push people out and get them to experience the outdoors."
Saturday started with the StumpJump, a grueling, 30-mile run up Signal Mountain, and ended with the Hot Air Balloon Glow.
Thought the glow lasted only a little while, some parents said that seeing their kids' faces lit up by something other than a cell-phone screen or an iPod was a nice change of pace.
Jerry Rettie, 44, and her son Jesse Rettie, 16, were among the many families who came out to watch the balloons.
"I'm with the Boy Scouts and coming down to these festivals with my family in general is a fun thing," Jesse Rettie said. "I love doing it."
It wasn't all fun and games, though. RiverRocks organizers brought in local food to help people learn the importance of green and healthy living, McGauley said.
Another part of the festival focused on the city's progress in the past 40 years, from having the dirtiest air in America to one that is known for its clean living, McGauley said.
"This is where we've come from, and this is where Chattanooga is today," McGauley said.
Proceeds from the festival will go to several land conservation groups, McGauley said.
At the end of the festival, McGauley said he will announce the first RiverRocks Legacy Project. He said it will be something that helps the infrastructure of Chattanooga and is related to the outdoors.
Overlooking Chattanooga's newest tradition was an established attraction, Wine Over Water. The fundraising event allows people to sample wines as they walk across the Walnut Street Bridge.
Amanda Carmichael, spokeswoman for Wine Over Water, said organizers were expecting more than 2,500 guests this year.
While RiverRocks and Wine Over Water aren't affiliated, she said organizers did discuss how the events would complement one another and expected cross-over traffic.
"Everything just works well together," Carmichael said. "It just makes this an extra special Wine Over Water."
Jeffery Connelly, 25, came to Wine Over Water wearing traditional Austrian lederhosen he got while studying law abroad last summer.
"It's October and I felt this outfit was fitting," Connelly said. "We're drinking foreign wine, why not wear a foreign outfit?"
Meanwhile, bluegrass music lovers crowded Ross's Landing on the south shore for the 3 Sisters Music Festival, another unrelated event coordinated to provide something for everyone.
Steve Genovesi with the Chattanooga Area Convention and Visitors Bureau said events like RiverRocks, 3 Sisters and Wine Over Water will boost the local economy.
"This promotes our destination in a new way," Genovesi said. "RiverRocks will do a wonderful job communicating all the outdoor activities."