Vincent Van Gogh Hot Air Balloon Flies Over A Field Of Sunflowers Outside Chicago In Celebration Of "Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit" Extension

CHICAGO, Oct. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Following a maiden flight in Toronto to herald the return of the city's Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit, Lighthouse Immersive's Vincent van Gogh hot air balloon made its way to Goebbert's Farm in Pingree Grove this Saturday, Oct. 9 to mark an extension of Immersive Van Gogh Chicago to Feb. 6. Van Gogh's unmistakable mug was inflated on the farm grounds from 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. for a planned tethered flight.

For images of the balloon, click the link below:
https://carolfox.box.com/s/h3ai7q3mtzko8rgj8vlo5vnpfw2gx28t

For video of the balloon, click the link below:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/aysr7uwzxppc0v7/AAD5VxwbJR-mVoE44CCim0j2a?dl=0

"Vincent's flight over Toronto delighted locals as well as social media users across North America," said Corey Ross, co-producer of Immersive Van Gogh. "Now he has taken his first flight in the U.S., and we have plans to bring him to Minneapolis and New York to highlight our exhibits in those cities."

Goebbert's Farm, located off of the Route 47 exit on I-90, is a family-oriented destination offering seasonal attractions like vegetable picking, gardening classes, pig races and even a giraffe barn. The farm grounds house a vast sunflower field that made it a fitting location for a Van Gogh hot air balloon, as the post-Impressionist painter was particularly fond of these towering flowers. 

Manning the basket was veteran hot air balloon pilot Bennett Schwontkowski of Midwest Balloon Adventures, who has flown in over 40 states since 1974. As a commercially licensed pilot, he has logged over 3,200 flights, including at the Kentucky Derby Festival and the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics.

Tickets to Immersive Van Gogh are currently on-sale through Nov. 28. Tickets for the Feb. 6 extension will be available on Wednesday, Oct. 13. Prices start at $39.99 for adults ($24.99 for children 16 or younger) with untimed and flexible ticket options available. The venue is easily accessible by public transportation and has ample parking in the nearby James House parking garage. For more information about Immersive Van Gogh, visit vangoghchicago.com or call 844-307-4644.  Follow the exhibition on social media at @vangoghchicago on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Lighthouse ArtSpace Chicago is operated by Immersive Art Space LP, a partnership between co-producers Corey Ross, Svetlana Dvoretsky, Maria Shclover and Irina Shabshis. The venue at the Germania Club features a merchandise/gift shop, café and a newly unveiled cocktail lounge that welcomes ticketholders and the general public alike.

About Immersive Van Gogh
Immersive Van Gogh invites audiences to "step inside" the iconic works of post-Impressionist master Vincent van Gogh, evoking his highly emotional and chaotic inner consciousness through art, light, music, movement and imagination. With exhibits across North America, Immersive Van Gogh is now one of the best-selling attractions in the world.

Immersive Van Gogh was designed by creator and Italian film producer Massimiliano Siccardi, with original, mood-setting music by Italian multimedia composer Luca Longobardi, who provided a score that combines experimental electronic music with pure, ethereal and simple-seeming piano. Vittorio Guidotti is the Art Director. With more than 70 projectors illuminating over 15,000 square-feet, visitors to Immersive Van Gogh will be encircled from head-to-toe in Van Gogh's brushstrokes and colors, including animated details from works such as Self Portrait with Felt Hat (1888), The Bedroom in Arles (1889), Irises (1889) and The Starry Night (1889). 

SOURCE Lighthouse Immersive