Hot air balloon festival
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", in which balloons are fired while remaining tethered to the ground; and rides.
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| Festival | City | Country | Year Started | When Held | Official Website |
| Adirondack Hot Air Balloon Festival | Glens Falls, New York | United States | 1973 | Last full weekend of 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 | |
| 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 | ||
| Ballonhappening Waregem | Waregem | Belgium | 1999 | ||
| Balloons, Bikes, Blues and Barbeque | Parsons, Kansas | United States | 2009 to 2016 | Third Weekend in October | |
| 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 | |
| Centralia Balloon Festival | Centralia, Illinois | United States | 1990 | ||
| 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 | n/a | ||
| 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 to 2008 | ||
| Eyes to the Sky Balloon Festival | Salina, Utah | United States | 2007 | Third weekend in June | |
| Ferrara Balloons Festival | Ferrara | Italy | 2005 | ||
| :pt:Festival Internacional de Balonismo de Torres|Festival Internacional de Balonismo de Torres | Rio Grande do Sul | Brazil | 1989 | Late April | |
| 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 to 2015 | Held in Kansas City, Missouri in 2016 as Rhythm 'n Balloons before shutting down. No flights occurred. | |
| Great Northern Balloon Festival & Air Show | Greenville, New York | United States | 1998 to 2003 | ||
| 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 to 2006 | ||
| 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 | |
| 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. | |
| Kinsmen Cornwall Lift Off | Cornwall, Ontario | Canada | 1994 to 2014 | ||
| Kiwanis Balloonfest | Valparaiso, Indiana | United States | 1991 | ||
| London International Hot Air Balloon Festival | London, Ontario | Canada | 1983 to 2007 | ||
| Lorraine Mondial Air Ballons | Chambley-Bussières Air Base, Lorraine | France | 1989 | 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 to 2008 | ||
| Michigan Challenge Balloonfest | Howell, Michigan | United States | 1985 | ||
| Mid-Hudson Valley Balloon Festival | Poughkeepsie, New York | United States | 1992 | ||
| 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 | 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 to 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 | |
| Pellissippi State Hot Air Balloon Festival | Pellissippi State Community College, Knoxville, Tennessee | United States | 2004 to 2010 | ||
| Penang Hot Air Balloon Fiesta | George Town, Penang | Malaysia | 2015 | February | |
| Pennington Balloon Championship | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | United States | Late 1980s | ||
| Philippine International Hot-Air Balloon Fiesta | Angeles, Pampanga | 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 | |
| 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 Prefecture | 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
| Sunflower Balloon Fest | Anthony, Kansas | United States | 1998 | Mother's Day Weekend | |
| Sweetheart Balloon Rally | Loveland, Colorado | United States | 2007 | Last weekend in August | |
| Taiwan Balloon Festival | Taitung | Taiwan | 2011 | Summer | |
| Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival | Temecula, California | United States | 1984 | ||
| Thailand International Balloon Festival | Ayutthaya | Thailand | 2007 | ||
| 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 to 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 | |
| Warren County Farmers' Fair Balloon Festival | New Jersey | United States | 2000 | ||
| Warsteiner Internationale Montgolfiade | Warstein | Germany | 1986 | ||
| World Hot Air Balloon Championship | Varies | Varies | 1973 | ||
| Festival Internacional de Balões de Ar Quente | Alto Alentejo | Portugal | 1997 | first week of November |