Hot Air Balloon Events.org  

Comprehensive, up-to-date, free listing of hot air balloon events, fiestas and festivals for balloon enthusiasts, pilots, crews and the public here in Britain & abroad

UK & Worldwide Hot Air Balloon Festival List   2010   Updated  on  31 Dec 09  UPCOMING EVENTS 41

    Please send details of your event to info@balloonevents.org for inclusion here

Upcoming events are below. For the complete year and historical listing click here

           
           
  Date Event Name  Where Organiser Details/Contact  Other Information
 
  2010        
  January        
  8-10 January Seaside Balloon Fest New Smyrna Beach, Florida, USA www.seasideballoonfest.com  
  9-10 January Icicle Meet Wiltshire, UK www.icicle.org.uk  
  9-10 January Exel Cup Exel, Netherlands www.dbcc.nl  
  9-17 January Dolomiti Balloon Festival Tobblach/Dobbiaco, Italy www.balloonfestival.it  
  16-18 January Crans-Montana Balloon Festival Switzerland sallyrm55@yahoo.com  
  16-23 January Schladminger Ballon Trophy Austria www.schladmingballoonfiesta.eu  
  23-31 January Chateau d'Oex International Balloon Festival Switzerland www.ballonchateaudoex.ch  
  February        
  5-7 February Bled Balloon Festival Bled, Slovenia baloni@siol.net  
  5-7 February Hudson Hot Air Affair Wisconsin, USA www.hudsonhotairaffair.com  
  6-7 February Brass Monkey Meet Harrogate, UK prba.org.uk  
  9-18 February Arctic Balloon Adventure Levi, Finland www.hot-air-balloon-adventure.com  
  9-14 February 15th Philippine Balloon Fiesta Clark Field, Pampanga, Philippines www.philballoonfest.net  
  13-21 February St Valentine's Meet Carpineti, Italy info@comunicazioneinvolo.com  
  March        
  6-14 March National Autumn Balloon Spectacular Canberra, Australia events@act.gov.au  
  18-21 March Putrajaya Hot Air Balloon Fiesta Malaysia www.myballoonfiesta.com  
  24-28 March Waikato balloon Festival New Zealand www.balloonsoverwaikato.co.nz  
  April        
  30 April - 9 May Coloramo i Cieli 2010 Castiglione del Lago, Italy barry@ballooningitaly.com  
  10-16 May Art & Science of Flight Florence, Italy www.flyballoon.it  
  June        
  11-13 June Evesham Balloon Festival Evesham, UK www.eveshamhotairfest.com  
  15-20 June 1st European Women's Championship Lithuania www.eurowomen2010hab.org  
  18-20 June 6th Annual Gulf Coast Balloon Festival Foley, Alabama, USA www.gulfcoastballoonfestival.com Apply by April 2010
  18-20 June Kemble Air Show Nr Cirencester, Glos. UK

david.hotair@gmail.com

 
  25-27 June Tigard Festival of Balloons Oregon, USA www.tigardballoon.org  
  July        
  28 July - 1 August Friese Balloon Fiesta Joure, Netherlands www.ballonfeesten.nl  
  29 July - 1 August Magic City Balloon Rally Billings, Montana, USA www.magiccityhotairballoonrally.com  
  29 July - 1 August Saxonia balloon Festival Leipzip, Germany www.balloonfiesta.de  
  30-31 July 4th Annual Buffalo Trace Balloon Race Maysville, Kentucky, USA www.buffalotraceballoonrace.com  
  30 July - 1 August Great Texas Balloon Race Longview, Texas, USA www.greattexasballoonrace.com  
  August        
  6-8 August Bielefeld Balloon Fiesta Germany www.ballonfiesta-bielefeld.de  
  12-15 August Bristol International Balloon Fiesta Bristol, UK www.bristolfiesta.co.uk  
  14-22 August St Jean sur Richelieu Balloon Festival Quebec, Canada www.ballooncanada.com  
  19-22 August 3rd International Balloon Days Austria & Switzerland www.ballontage-alpenrheintal.ch  
  20-22 August Groningen Balloon Fiesta Netherlands www.ballonfiestagroningen.nl  
  September        
  3-5 September Gemerts Balloon Festival Netherlands www.gemertsballonfestijn.nl  
  3-12 September Warsteiner International Balloon Festival Warstein, Germany www.warsteiner-wim.de  
  4-6 September Colorado Balloon Classic Colorado Springs, USA www.balloonclassic.com  
  10-12 September Grassroots 2010 Sackville Lodge, Bedford, UK robxballoon@hotmail.com  
  24-26 September Bluegrass Balloon Festival Louisville, Kentucky, USA

www.bluegrassballoons.com

 
  25-27 September Valleyfest Balloon Meet Spokane Valley, Washington, USA www.valleyfest.org  
  October        
  2-10 October World Hot Air Balloon Championship Debrecen, Hungary www.deballoons.com  
  8-10 October Vencimont Balloon Meeting Belgium info@aerovolare.be  
       
       
       
  Want to list your balloon meet here? Email info@balloonevents.org  
           
  Would you like to have balloons come to your event? Email the following details to info@balloonevents.org  
           
       

Date and Venue

Attendance figures

Audience profile (eg age)

Is sponsorship or fee to attend available?

Any other details about the event

Who to contact

 

 
  If you are organising a non-ballooning show and would like balloons to come to your event, let us know the above details just the same. We'll post it here for balloonists to read and, with any luck, a local balloonist or commercial balloon display team will be interested in making your event a bit hotter!  
           
           
           
           

Guide for the public

   
 

As you can see from the list of ballooning events on this site, you can go and see balloons all over the world, and every balloon event is different.

Balloons normally fly in the mornings and evening when days are at their calmest and there are no thermic winds. In alpine areas or in winter you might also find balloons flying during the day. At organised events a popular display is a nightglow: balloons glowing in the dark by operating their yellow "whisper" burners.

 

Some events are ‘grassroots’ balloon meets, where balloonists gather on a field somewhere, go into a little huddle (the pilots’ briefing), then set up their balloons and fly off. Sometimes they have competitions and sometimes they just fly for fun.

 

Other events are big, commercial balloon festivals in city parks or at stately homes, where there are lots of other things to see and do and buy and eat and drink.

A few of the events are serious competitions. The pilots and observers will be concentrating very hard on the task in hand and there won’t be much for the public to do, apart from watching the launches.

 

The actual ballooning will be much the same at all the events. Balloons usually only fly just after sunrise and just before sunset. Quite often, launch times will be 6am and 6pm. The balloons may take off and disappear quite quickly. At the bigger, commercial events, they may tether on site during the day if the weather is favourable. In the evening there may be a nightglow scheduled at dusk or after dark.

 

Ballooning always depends on the weather. The windspeed is the crucial factor. If the trees are bending over and wind is whipping past you, you are very unlikely to see balloons up. Rain may not deter the hardy few, if it’s light drizzle, but most private pilots won’t want to get their balloons wet. It's no fun trying to dry 100ft or so of soggy nylon in your living room! Flights may be cancelled in advance or even on the field if conditions are changeable. Or they may be delayed if conditions are expected to improve – for example, if the morning is foggy. This can be frustrating for both the public and the pilots, but safety is always the priority. A very famous saying in aviation is: It's better to be down here wishing you were up there than up there wishing you were down here!

 

At some gatherings, a balloon basket might be set up during the day so that the public can have a look inside and ask the crew and pilot questions. If you are interested in finding out more about ballooning, or you want to get involved, the British Balloon and Airship Club (www.bbac.org) is the governing body in the British Isles. Most other countries have their own ballooning bodies, and there may well be a local club in your region. Follow a balloon and ask the pilot or crew!

Do take a camera or video, because balloons are very photogenic. Smile and wave at the balloonists, they will wave back! Balloon spotting is more common than you think............

 

If you enjoy following balloons during a flight, please do so safely and keep your eyes on the road! When the balloon has landed, unless it is on public parkland, please do not enter the field. It does belong to somebody. Please do not park your vehicle where it may block the way for other road users, especially on narrow lanes. It is the duty of the retrieve crew to find the farmer or landowner to arrange the recovery of the balloon. Feel free to approach the crew on the road. They may be very glad of an extra pair of hands to help with the recovery and packing away.

 

Do check the event is still on before you travel to it! 

 
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