A hot air balloon hovers over Hagis Mall, just outside the Fine Arts Center at UMass Amherst, October 24, 2025.
Tonight, the plaza outside the Fine Arts Center looked like something straight out of Oz. A tethered hot air balloon hovers above the crowd, as part of the Wicked: Sing-Along Film Screening and cOZplay Event, bringing a touch of Emerald City to UMass Amherst.
The balloon takes two to three people, rises up just above the height of the Fine Arts Center Roof, then comes back down to give some other excited guests a ride.
The balloon wasn’t just for show. In The Wizard of Oz, the Wizard famously tries to leave Oz in a hot air balloon. The image also connects neatly with one of Wicked’s most well-known songs, Defying Gravity. It felt like a fitting symbol for the evening — an invitation to lift off, to rise above, to imagine differently.
Inside the Frederick C. Tillis Performance Hall, the sing-along screening filled the air with music, led by UMass student vocal groups. Outside, the balloon’s gentle glow and the hum of excitement reminded us that for thousands of young students, the journey to Oz begins right here in Amherst.
