Hot air balloon festivals are held annually in many places throughout the year, allowing hot air balloons operators to gather- as well as for the general public- to participate in various activities. They can include races; evening "night glows", or "glowdeos" (in the US), in which balloons are fired while remaining tethered to the ground; and rides.
| Festival | City | Country | Year started | Year ended | When held | Official website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adirondack Hot Air Balloon Festival | Queensbury, New York | United States | 1973 | Mid to late September | ||
| Alabama Jubilee Hot Air Balloon Classic | Decatur, Alabama | United States | 1977 | |||
| Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta | Albuquerque, New Mexico | United States | 1972 | First full week in October including both adjacent weekends | ||
| All Ohio Balloon Festival | Marysville, Ohio | United States | 1975 | Second or third weekend of August | ||
| Araku Balloon Festival | Araku Valley, Andhra Pradesh | India | 2017 | |||
| Arizona's SalsaFest Balloon Festival | Safford, Arizona | United States | 2008 | |||
| Ashland Ballonfest | Ashland, Ohio | United States | 1990 | |||
| Atlantic Balloon Fiesta | Sussex, New Brunswick | Canada | 1985 | |||
| Balaton Crossing International Hot Air Balloon Competition and Fiesta | Siófok | Hungary | 2004 | May | ||
| Ballonfiësta Barneveld | Barneveld | Netherlands | 1983 | (Dutch) | ||
| Ballonhappening Waregem | Waregem | Belgium | 1999 | |||
| Balloons, Bikes, Blues and Barbeque | Parsons, Kansas | United States | 2009 | 2016 | Third Weekend in October | [1] |
| Balloons over Waikato | Hamilton, North Island | New Zealand | 1999 | |||
| Balloons over Wairarapa | Wairarapa, North Island | New Zealand | 1999 | |||
| Blossom Time Balloon Festival | Chagrin Falls, Ohio | United States | 1988 | |||
| Bluegrass Balloon Festival | Louisville, Kentucky | United States | 1999 | |||
| Bluff Balloon Festival | Bluff, Utah | United States | 1998 | |||
| Breda Balloon Fiësta | Breda | Netherlands | 1986 | |||
| Bristol International Balloon Fiesta | Bristol | United Kingdom | 1979 | |||
| Canberra Balloon Spectacular | Canberra | Australia | 1987 | |||
| Cedar City Sky Festival | Cedar City, Utah | United States | 2005 | 3rd weekend in September | ||
| BalloonFest | Centralia, Illinois | United States | 1990 | 3rd weekend in August | ||
| Colorado Balloon Classic | Colorado Springs, Colorado | United States | 1977 | Labor Day weekend in September | ||
| Colorado River Crossing Balloon Festival | Yuma, Arizona | United States | 1990 | |||
| Creston Hot Air Balloon Days | Creston, Iowa | United States | 1978 | 3rd weekend in September | ||
| Delta Air Balloon Festival | Greenville, Mississippi | United States | — | |||
| Dolomiti Balloonfestival | Toblach | Italy | 2003 | |||
| European Balloon Festival | Igualada, Catalonia | Spain | 1997 | First fortnight of July | ||
| European Hot Air Balloon Championships | Varies | Europe | 1992 | |||
| Exclusive Cup | Berkeley | United Kingdom | 2008 | |||
| Eyes to the Skies Festival | Lisle, Illinois | United States | 1981 | 2008 | ||
| Eyes to the Sky Balloon Festival | Salina, Utah | United States | 2007 | Third weekend in June | ||
| Ferrara Balloons Festival | Ferrara | Italy | 2005 | (Italian) | ||
| Festival Internacional de Balonismo de Torres | Rio Grande do Sul | Brazil | 1989 | Late April | (Portuguese) | |
| Field of Flight Air Show and Balloon Festival | Battle Creek, Michigan | United States | 1980 | |||
| Freedom Weekend Aloft | Simpsonville, South Carolina | United States | 1982 | |||
| Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival | Gatineau, Quebec | Canada | 1988 | Labor Day Weekend | ||
| Gordon Bennett Cup gas balloon race | Varies | Varies | 1906 | Hosted by country of the race winner two years prior. | ||
| Great Falls Balloon Festival | Lewiston / Auburn, Maine | United States | 1992 | |||
| Great Forest Park Balloon Race | Saint Louis, Missouri | United States | 1973 | |||
| Great Midwest Balloon Fest | Kansas | United States | 2010 | 2015 | Held in Kansas City, Missouri in 2016 as Rhythm 'n Balloons before shutting down. No flights occurred. | [2] |
| Great Northern Balloon Festival & Air Show | Greenville, New York | United States | 1998 | 2003 | [3] | |
| Great Pershing Balloon Derby | Brookfield, Missouri | United States | 1977 | |||
| Great Reno Balloon Race | Reno, Nevada | United States | 1981 | |||
| Great Texas Balloon Race | Longview, Texas | United States | 1977 | |||
| Great Wellsville Balloon Rally | Wellsville, New York | United States | 1975 | |||
| Guanajuato International Air Balloon Festival | León, Guanajuato | Mexico | 2002 | In November, the weekend of the Mexican revolution holiday. It is also the Buen Fin. | ||
| Havasu Balloon Festival and Fair | Lake Havasu City, Arizona | United States | 2011 | The third weekend in January | ||
| Helen to the Atlantic Balloon Race | Helen, Georgia | United States | 1974 | |||
| High Hopes Hot Air Balloon Festival | Milford, New Hampshire | United States | 1986 | 2006 | ||
| Hokkaido Balloon Festival | Kamishihoro, Hokkaido | Japan | 1973 | |||
| Hot Air Jubilee | Jackson, Michigan | United States | 1984 | |||
| Huff 'n' Puff | Topeka, Kansas | United States | 1976 | Second weekend of September | ||
| International Hot-Air Balloon Festival in Château-d'Oex | Château-d'Œx | Switzerland | 1979 | |||
| International Hot-Air Balloon Festival in Gilboa | Well of Harod | Israel | 2009 | August | (Hebrew) | |
| International Balloon Festival of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu | Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec | Canada | 1984 | |||
| International Balloon Grand Prix Todi | Todi, Umbria | Italy | 1988 | |||
| Irish National Hot Air Ballooning Championship | Varies | Ireland | 1971 | Referred to as 'The Irish Meet' the Irish Championship is the longest running ballooning event in the world. | ||
| Jupiter Flights Balloon Festival | Fishers, Indiana | United States | 2021 | Early September. | ||
| Kinsmen Cornwall Lift Off | Cornwall, Ontario | Canada | 1994 | 2014 | ||
| Kiwanis Balloonfest | Valparaiso, Indiana | United States | 1991 | |||
| Lakeside of the Smokies Balloonfest | White Pine, Tennessee | United States | 2019 | |||
| London International Hot Air Balloon Festival | London, Ontario | Canada | 1983 | 2007 | ||
| Longleat Icons Of The Sky | Warminster | United Kingdom | 2024 | |||
| Grand Est Mondial Air Balloon | Chambley-Bussières Air Base, Lorraine | France | 1989 | 2023 | End of July. Once every 2 years. | |
| Macomb Balloon Rally | Macomb, Illinois | United States | 1987 | Second Weekend of September | ||
| Mansfield Balloon Festival | Mansfield, Victoria | Australia | 1995 | |||
| Meetjeslandse Balloonmeeting | Eeklo | Belgium | 1986 | |||
| Metro NY Balloon & Music Festival | Shirley, New York | United States | 2007 | 2008 | ||
| Michigan Challenge Balloonfest | Howell, Michigan | United States | 1985 | |||
| Mid-Hudson Valley Balloon Festival | Poughkeepsie, New York | United States | 1992 | |||
| Midlands Air Festival | Alcester | United Kingdom | 2018 | |||
| Midwest SkyFest | Kentland, Indiana | United States | 2010 | July | ||
| Montpelier Bean Days Balloon Festival | Montpelier, Ohio | United States | 2014 | July | ||
| National Balloon Classic | Indianola, Iowa | United States | 1969 | First week of August | ||
| National Balloon Rally (Carolina BalloonFest) | Statesville, North Carolina | United States | 1974 | Third weekend in October | ||
| New York State Festival of Balloons | Dansville, New York | United States | 1981 | |||
| Northampton Balloon Festival | Northampton | United Kingdom | 1990 | |||
| Northwest Art and Air Festival | Albany, Oregon | United States | 2000 | |||
| Northwest Connecticut Balloon Festival | Connecticut | United States | 1995 | 2004 | ||
| Northwest Georgia Hot-Air Balloon Festival | Summerville, Georgia | United States | 2008 | |||
| Piscataquis Heritage Hot Air Balloon Festival | Dover-Foxcroft, Maine | United States | 2013 | |||
| Ojiya Hot Air Balloon Festival | Ojiya, Niigata | Japan | 1977 | February | (Japanese) | |
| Pellissippi State Hot Air Balloon Festival | Pellissippi State Community College, Knoxville, Tennessee | United States | 2004 | 2010 | ||
| Penang Hot Air Balloon Fiesta | George Town, Penang | Malaysia | 2015 | February | ||
| Pennington Balloon Championship | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | United States | 1980s | |||
| Philippine International Hot-Air Balloon Fiesta | Angeles City | Philippines | 1994 | 2nd week of February | ||
| Plano Balloon Festival | Plano, Texas | United States | 1980 | |||
| Putrajaya International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta | Putrajaya | Malaysia | 2009 | |||
| Qatar Balloon Festival | Doha | Qatar | 2019 | |||
| Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning | Readington Township, New Jersey | United States | 1983 | Third week of July | ||
| Quechee Hot Air Balloon Craft and Music Festival | Quechee, Vermont | United States | 1979 | Father's Day Weekend | ||
| Raduno Internazionale dell'Epifania | Mondovì | Italy | 1988 | First week of January | (Italian) | |
| Ravenna Balloon A-Fair | Ravenna, Ohio | United States | 1979 | |||
| RE/MAX Ballunar Liftoff Festival | Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas | United States | 1993 | |||
| Saga International Balloon Fiesta | Saga, Saga | Japan | 1980 | |||
| Sandy City Balloon Festival | Sandy, Utah | United States | 2006 | First weekend in August | ||
| Sandy Valley Balloon Festival | Sandy Valley, Nevada | United States | 1999 | |||
| Saxonia International Balloon Fiesta | Leipzig | Germany | 1995 | 2015 | ||
| Sierra Vista Festival of Color | Sierra Vista, Arizona | United States | 1989 | |||
| Singha Park Chiangrai Balloon Fiesta | Chiangrai | Thailand | 2019 | November | ||
| Singha Park ChiangRai International Balloon Fiesta | Chiangrai | Thailand | 2019 | Valentine in February | ||
| Sky Safari | Longleat, Wiltshire | United Kingdom | 2016 | |||
| Strathaven Balloon Festival | Strathaven, South Lanarkshire | United Kingdom | 1999 | |||
| Spiedie Fest and Balloon Rally | Binghamton, New York | United States | 1985 | |||
| Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic | Boise, Idaho | United States | 1991 | |||
| St. Patty's Day Balloon Rallye | Los Lunas, New Mexico | United States | 1984 | |||
| Suncook Valley Balloon Rally | Pittsfield, New Hampshire | United States | 1981 | First weekend in August | ||
| Sunflower Balloon Fest | Anthony, Kansas | United States | 1998 | Mother's Day Weekend (2nd Weekend in May) | ||
| Sweetheart Balloon Rally | Loveland, Colorado | United States | 2007 | Last weekend in August | ||
| Taiwan Balloon Festival | Taitung | Taiwan | 2011 | Summer | (Chinese) | |
| Tamil Nadu International Balloon Festival | Pollachi, Tamil Nadu | India | 2015 | Jan 13-16 Pongal Holidays | ||
| Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival | Temecula, California | United States | 1984 | |||
| Thailand International Balloon Festival | Ayutthaya | Thailand | 2007 | |||
| Tigard Festival of Balloons | Tigard, Oregon | United States | 1984 | June | ||
| The Great Mississippi River Balloon Race | Natchez, Mississippi | United States | 1986 | |||
| The Great Prosser Balloon Rally | Prosser, Washington | United States | 1990 | |||
| Thunderbird Balloon Classic | Glendale, Arizona | United States | 1975 | 2006 | ||
| Thurston Classic | Meadville, Pennsylvania | United States | 1988 | |||
| Tiverton Balloon Festival | Tiverton, Devon | United Kingdom | 1988 | |||
| University Motors Mountaineer Balloon Festival | Morgantown, West Virginia | United States | 1985 | |||
| U.S. National Hot Air Balloon Championship | Varies | United States | 1963 | |||
| Velikie Luki International Balloon Meet | Velikiye Luki | Russia | 1996 | June | ||
| Vredefeesten | Sint-Niklaas | Belgium | 1948 | First Weekend of September | (Dutch) | |
| Warren County Farmers' Fair Balloon Festival | New Jersey | United States | 2000 | |||
| Warsteiner Internationale Montgolfiade | Warstein | Germany | 1986 | (German) | ||
| World Hot Air Balloon Championship | Varies | Varies | 1973 | |||
| Festival Internacional de Balões de Ar Quente (FIBAQ) | Alto Alentejo | Portugal | 1997 | first week of November | ||
| Oklahoma Festival of Ballooning | Muskogee, Oklahoma | United States | Last weekend in August | |||
| Poteau Balloon Fest | Poteau, Oklahoma | United States | 3rd weekend in October | |||
| Firelake Fireflight Balloon Festival | Shawnee, Oklahoma | United States | Second weekend in August | |||
| Walla Walla Balloon Stampede | Walla Walla, Washington | United States | 1974 | Third weekend in September | ||
| Wintrop Balloon Stampede | Winthrop, Washington | United States | 1980 | First weekend in March |
A hot air balloon is a lighter-than-air aircraft consisting of a bag, called an envelope, which contains heated air. Suspended beneath is a gondola or wicker basket, which carries passengers and a source of heat, in most cases an open flame caused by burning liquid propane. The heated air inside the envelope makes it buoyant, since it has a lower density than the colder air outside the envelope. As with all aircraft, hot air balloons cannot fly beyond the atmosphere. The envelope does not have to be sealed at the bottom, since the air inside the envelope is at about the same pressure as the surrounding air. In modern sport balloons the envelope is generally made from nylon fabric, and the inlet of the balloon is made from a fire-resistant material such as Nomex. Modern balloons have been made in many shapes, such as rocket ships and the shapes of various commercial products, though the traditional shape is used for most non-commercial and many commercial applications.
Lubao, officially the Municipality of Lubao, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 173,502 people.
The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is a yearly hot air balloon festival that takes place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, during early October. The Balloon Fiesta is a nine-day event occurring in the first full week of October, and has over 500 hot air balloons each year, far from its beginnings of merely 13 balloons in 1972. The event is the largest balloon festival in the world, followed by the Grand Est Mondial Air in France, and the León International Balloon Festival in Mexico.
The Bristol International Balloon Fiesta is an annual four day free festival of hot air ballooning in Bristol, England. Teams from the UK and other parts of the world bring their hot air balloons to the site and participate in mass ascents where as many as 100 balloons may launch at a time.
The London Hot-Air Balloon Festival was an annual hot-air balloon festival held in London, Ontario, Canada. The festival, which was held for the first time in 1984 and originally called the London Balloon Fiesta, used to take place in Harris Park at the forks of the Thames River during Simcoe Day weekend. The sponsor of the festival was Sundance Balloons. Spectators could get very close to the balloons, as there was no fixed barricades separating the launch area.
The BBC One Balloon idents were a series of idents used on the British TV channel BBC One from 4 October 1997 to 28 March 2002. The balloon theme replaced the computer-generated spinning globe that had been used as the main ident on the channel since 1991, and marked a radical departure from the traditional spinning globe which had been the channel's primary identity since 1963. It launched on the same day as a BBC-wide rebrand, and thus the new idents also carried the new BBC logo. The channel's name also changed from BBC1 to BBC One. This was the last ident set used by the channel when it fully closed down; the last proper closedown took place in the evening hours of 8 November 1997. Starting the following evening, BBC News 24 would broadcast on BBC One during closedown, which continues today.
A balloon glow or night glow is an event that is often held as a climax to a hot air balloon festival. The balloons are set up at sunset in the launch area, an open field, or a football stadium and are inflated as if they are going to take off, but instead of being allowed to ascend, they are held down by the ground crew. The propane burners are ignited periodically to keep the balloons inflated with hot air.
Sisig is a Filipino dish made from pork jowl and ears (maskara), pork belly, and chicken liver, which is usually seasoned with calamansi, onions, and chili peppers. It originates from the Pampanga region in Luzon.
Hot air ballooning is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying hot air balloons. Attractive aspects of ballooning include the exceptional quiet, the lack of a feeling of movement, and the bird's-eye view. Since the balloon moves with the direction of the winds, the passengers feel absolutely no wind, except for brief periods during the flight when the balloon climbs or descends into air currents of different direction or speed. Hot air ballooning has been recognized by Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) as the safest air sport in aviation, and fatalities in hot air balloon accidents are rare, according to statistics from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Balloons over Waikato is an annual hot air balloon festival held in Hamilton, New Zealand since 1999 by the non-profit organisation Balloons over Waikato Trust. The event spans five days during autumn and attracts both local and overseas balloonists. The Festival is held primarily at Innes Common, at Hamilton Lake, which gets an estimated 130,000 visitors during the festival. The highlight of the festival, the "Night glow" is held at the University of Waikato where an estimated 80,000+ people attend to watch the lighting of balloons putting on a spectacular glow to music.
The Saxonia International Balloon Fiesta is the third biggest hot-air balloon festival in Europe. Annually over 100,000 people visit the spectacle, which takes place in Leipzig (Germany) at the end of July.
The Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta is an annual four-day air-sporting event held between January and February at the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga. It was initiated by Nelson Mayo in the late 1990s. It is one of the longest-running aviation sports events in the Philippines. The fiesta draws over 100 balloon pilots from around the world and attracts an audience of approximately 100,000 visitors annually.
The Saga International Balloon Fiesta is held at the beginning of November every year in Saga Prefecture, Japan. In 2014 it took place between October 30 and November 3.
Balloon Fiesta may refer to the following:
The Northwest Art and Air Festival is an annual festival in Albany, Oregon, United States that celebrates local art and aeronautics. The Oregon Festival and Events Association has twice named the festival "best in its budget class" and in recent years the festival has averaged 40,000 visitors during the course of the event. In 2008 festival attendance was described by city officials as "the biggest by far".
The Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival is held annually, the first weekend of June at Lake Skinner Recreation Area in the Temecula Valley AVA of Southern California. The event features morning balloon launches, evening balloon glows, wine tasting from more than 20 wineries, wine competition, food and wine pairing, concerts featuring country on Friday, Classic Rock and Rock on Saturday, and Jazz on Sunday. There is also a giant arts and craft faire, kids faire, and fine art paintings on exhibit within the wine gardens. In 2020 and 2021 it was not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The European Balloon Festival is the largest hot air balloon festival in Spain, and one of the largest in Europe. It takes place every year during the first fortnight of July in Igualada, Catalonia, Spain, a city located within 60 km from Barcelona.
The Michigan Challenge Balloonfest is an annual hot air balloon festival established in 1985 and held in Howell, Michigan during the last weekend of June. The event draws crowds from all over Michigan and its surrounding states, with attendance often topping 100,000 over the three-day weekend. The festival is hosted by the Howell Area Chamber of Commerce, takes place at Howell High School, and is run by head of the Howell Area Chamber of Commerce, Janelle Best, as well as balloonmeister and competition director, Phil Clinger.
The Penang Hot Air Balloon Fiesta is an annual hot air balloon festival held within the city of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. The festival, organised by AKA Balloon Sdn Bhd, a Malaysian private limited firm, takes place every February at the city's Polo Ground.
The AURORA Music Festival is an annual music and arts festival featuring live music, food, art installations, and hot air balloons held in Clark Global City in Pampanga, Philippines over the course of two days. The festival was later expanded into Cebu and Davao. It is organized by Epic Events.