List of hot air balloon festivals

Hot air balloon festivals are held annually in many places throughout the year, allowing balloon pilots and the general public to gather together and enjoy hot air balloons. The festivals can include races, balloon rides, and "night glows", in which balloons are fired while remaining tethered to the ground illuminating them in the dark. Many US hot air balloon festivals^[1] also include live music, car shows, craft fairs, and other activities to entertain the whole community.

List

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
Atlantic Balloon Fiesta	Sussex, New Brunswick	Canada	1985		Always the weekend after labor Day
Balloons over Waikato	Hamilton, North Island	New Zealand	1999
Bluegrass Balloon Festival	Louisville, Kentucky	United States	1999
Bristol International Balloon Fiesta	Bristol	United Kingdom	1979
Canberra Balloon Spectacular	Canberra	Australia	1987
Centralia Balloon Fest	Centralia, Illinois	United States	1990
Colorado Balloon Classic	Colorado Springs, Colorado	United States	1977		Labor Day weekend in September
European Balloon Festival	Igualada, Catalonia	Spain	1997		First fortnight of July
Ferrara Balloons Festival	Ferrara	Italy	2005			(Italian)
Festival Internacional de Balonismo de Torres	Rio Grande do Sul	Brazil	1989		Late April	(Portuguese)
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 Pershing Balloon Derby	Brookfield, Missouri	United States	1977
Great Reno Balloon Race	Reno, Nevada	United States	1981
Great Texas Balloon Race	Longview, Texas / Kilgore, Texas	United States	1977
Great Wellsville Balloon Rally	Wellsville, New York	United States	1975		Third Weekend of July
Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival	Foley, Alabama	United States	2005		Spring
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 Balloon Festival of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu	Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec	Canada	1984		Mid-August
Jupiter Flights Balloon Festival	Fishers, Indiana	United States	2021		Early September.
Lakeside of the Smokies Balloon Fest	Dandridge, Tennessee	United States
London International Hot Air Balloon Festival	London, Ontario	Canada	1983	2007
Michigan Challenge Balloonfest	Howell, Michigan	United States	1985
National Balloon Classic	Indianola, Iowa	United States	1969		First week of August
Northampton Balloon Festival	Northampton	United Kingdom	1990
Northwest Art and Air Festival	Albany, Oregon	United States	2000
Page, AZ Balloon Regatta & Street Fair	Page, Arizona	United States	2026		First weekend of November
Philippine International Hot-Air Balloon Fiesta	Angeles City	Philippines	1994		2nd week of February
Plano Balloon Festival	Plano, Texas	United States	1980
Plainville Hot Air Balloon Festival	Plainville, Connecticut	United States	1987		Late Summer
Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning	Readington Township, New Jersey	United States	1983		Third week of July
Saga International Balloon Fiesta	Saga, Saga	Japan	1980
Saxonia International Balloon Fiesta	Leipzig	Germany	1995	2015
Suncook Valley Rotary Hot Air Balloon Rally	Pittsfield, New Hampshire	United States	1981		First weekend in August
Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic	Boise, Idaho	United States	1991
Taunggyi Tazaungdaing Festival	Taunggyi, Shan State	Myanmar	1894
Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival	Temecula, California	United States	1984
Velikie Luki International Balloon Meet [ru]	Velikiye Luki	Russia	1996		June
Warren County Farmers' Fair Balloon Festival	New Jersey	United States	2000		July/August

Gallery

Warsteiner Internationale Montgolfiade (WIM), Germany
The Bristol International Balloon Fiesta (held in the city of Bristol, England), is one of the biggest festivals of its type in Europe
Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, the largest gathering of hot air balloons in the world.
Balloons flying above the Ancient Castle of Ferrara during the Ferrara Balloon Festival
Balloons flying during the Penang Hot Air Balloon Fiesta in George Town, Penang in 2017.
Starting balloons at the Warsteiner Internationale Montgolfiade in Warstein, Germany
Grand Britannia, the Great British Balloon flying at the Mondial event in Lorraine, France
Mid-Hudson Valley Balloon Festival
European Balloon Festival in Igualada, Spain
A "smiling sun" hot air balloon in front of the sun during the Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta in Pampanga, Philippines
Night Glow at the 20º Hot Air Balloon Festival (FIBAQ) in Alter do Chão, Portugal, on 11 November 2016
Leon International Hot Air Balloon Festival 2012 in Leon, Mexico
A sunrise photo session at the Plainville Hot Air Balloon Festival in Connecticut