PULLMAN, Wash. — Washington State University is celebrating apples and the rich history of all things apples on Tuesday. The main event is the Cosmic Crisp hot air balloon taking flight!
“This event celebrates one of the most popular apples in the world, created right here at WSU,” said Lindsay Brown, associate athletics director for performance nutrition. “We’re excited to showcase our student-athletes and share fan-favorite apples along with recipes and samples that we hope inspire others to fuel their day with good nutrition and healthy activity.”
The 80-foot Cosmic Crisp hot air balloon took an hour flight on Tuesday morning before landing back at Mooberry Track.
Tuesday’s events also included a pickleball and tennis expo featuring the women’s tennis team as well as Tyson McGuffin, former ranked tennis player turned professional pickleball star.
“The Cosmic Crisp® hot air balloon brings the inspiration to dream big and creates meaningful connections for thousands of people at festivals each year,” said Kathryn Grandy, chief marketing officer for PVM, the marketing company for the apple variety. “We’re thrilled to bring that same excitement to the Pullman campus.”
The Cosmic Crisp balloon is hauled by van and follows balloon festivals around the country that coincide with favorable weather.
Now the number-seven bestselling apple in the U.S., Cosmic Crisp is a cross of Honeycrisp and Enterprise that was first bred at WSU’s Wenatchee Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center. “What started as an idea at WSU has grown to become one of the best-selling apples in the U.S.,” Grandy said. “At the core of this brand is a tremendous amount of Cougar pride.”