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  15 July 2010  UPCOMING EVENTS 106

    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        
  July        
  11-25 July Italian International Grand Prix Todi, Italy todigrandprix@tiscalinet.it  
  13-18 July FAI World Hot Air Airship Championships Grand Dole, France www.worldairship2010.fr  
  15-18 July Eindhoven Balloon Festival Netherlands www.eindhovenballooning.nl  
  16-18 July Ballonmeeting Olen Olen, Belgium www.ballonclubicarus.be  
  16-18 July Great Wellsville Balloon Rally New York, USA www.wellsvilleballoonrally.com  
  17-18 July UK Grand Prix 2 Husbands Bosworth, Leics, UK www.ballooncomps.org.uk  
  21-25 July LuxGSM World Balloon Trophy Echternach, Luxembourg www.wbt.lu  
  23-25 July Silverstone Classic Balloon Event Northants, UK tony@tonyattwood.net  
  23-25 July New Jersey Festival of Ballooning USA www.balloonfestival.com  
  23-25 July Balloon Festival Ptuj Slovenia balonarski.klub.ptuj@amis.net  
  24-25 July Eeklo Balloon Meeting Eeklo, Belgium www.meetjeslandseballoonmeeting.be  
  28 July - 1 August Friese Balloon Fiesta Joure, Netherlands www.ballonfeesten.nl  
  28 July - 1 August Biggar Bike & Balloon Festival Biggar, Lanarkshire, UK www.bikeandballoonfestival.co.uk  
  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  
  30-31 July Citrus Classic Balloon Festival Santa Paula, California, USA www.citrusclassicballoons.com  
  30 July - 1 August Killarney Summerfest Ireland phil@gonewiththewind.uk.com  
  30 July - 1 August Pro-football Hall of Fame Festival Canton, Ohio, USA www.profootballhoffestival.com  
  30 July - 1 August Great Texas Balloon Race Longview, Texas, USA www.greattexasballoonrace.com  
  30 July - 7 August National Balloon Classic Indianola, Iowa, USA www.nationalballoonclassic.com  
  August        
  1 August Balloons, Bikes & Ferraris Groombridge Place, Kent, UK becki@airborneballoons.co.uk  
  1-7 August Warren County Farmers Fair Phillipsburg, New Jersey, USA www.balloonfestnj.com  
  1-8 August Montenegro Balloon Festival Skadar Lake, Montenegro londonkrug@yahoo.co.uk  
  3-8 August Festivent Viile de Levis Levis, Quebec, Canada festivent.net  
  5-8 August Masurian Balloon Fiesta Elk, Poland masurianballoonfestival.eu  
  6-8 August Bielefeld Balloon Fiesta Germany www.ballonfiesta-bielefeld.de  
  6-8 August Gatesway Balloon Fiesta Claremore, Oklahoma, USA gatesway.org/balloon_festival/index.php  
  6-8 August Basingstoke Big Balloon Hampshire, UK phil@skypower.co.uk  
  11-14 August Barneveld Fiesta Netherlands www.ballonfiestabarneveld.nl  
  12-15 August Bristol International Balloon Fiesta Bristol, UK www.bristolfiesta.co.uk  
  12-15 August Borkener Balloon Festival Borken, Germany doasb@aol.com  
  12-15 August Magdeburg Balloon Festival Magdeburg, Germany www.balloonfiesta.de  
  13-14 August Grave Balloon Festival Grave, Netherlands www.ballonfestival-grave.nl  
  13-15 August Flag City Balloon Festival Findlay, Ohio, USA www.flagcityballoonfest.com  
  14-15 August Headcorn Combined Ops Air Show Kent, UK www.flyingadverts.co.uk  
  14-22 August St Jean sur Richelieu Balloon Festival Quebec, Canada www.ballooncanada.com  
  15 August Aalst Balloon Meet Aalst, Belgium www.ballonmeetingaalst.be  
  18-22 August Hottolfiades 2010 Hotton, Belgium www.hottolfiades.com  
  18 Aug - 1 Sept Great Mongolian Balloon Adventure Outer Mongolia balloonjourneys@alliedunnington.co.uk  
  19-22 August 3rd International Balloon Days Austria & Switzerland www.ballontage-alpenrheintal.ch  
  20 August Bournemouth Air Festival Night Glow Bournemouth, UK alanhall@blueskyballooning.co.uk  
  20-22 August Northampton Balloon Festival Billing, Northants, UK www.thenorthamptonballoonfestival.co.uk  
  20-22 August Mosel Balloon Fiesta Trier, Germany www.mosel-ballon-fiesta.de  
  20-22 August Groningen Balloon Fiesta Netherlands www.ballonfiestagroningen.nl  
  20-22 August Wisconsin Rapids Balloon Rally Wisconsin, USA www.cmnballoonrally.com  
  20-22 August Highland Village Balloon Fest Texas, USA www.hvballoonfest.org  
  21 August Balloon Fiesta Meerstad Groningen, Netherlands www.ballonfiestameerstad.nl  
  24-28 August Nordic Championships Hogsater, Sweden www.dalslandsballongklubb.se/nm  
  25-28 August Twente Ballooning 2010 Oldenzaal, Netherlands www.twenteballooning.nl  
  25-30 August British Nationals Pidley, Cambs, UK www.ballooncomps.org.uk  
  26-28 August Breda Balloon Fiesta Netherlands www.bredaballonfiesta.nl  
  26-29 August Crown of Maine Balloon Festival Maine, USA www.crownofmaineballoonfest.org  
  27-29 August Kevelaer Balloon Festival Kevelaer, Germany sylvia201054@yahoo.co.uk  
  27-29 August Strathaven Balloon Festival Strathaven, Lanarkshire, Scotland www.strathavenballoonfestival.co.uk  
  27-30 August Coniston Balloon Meet Lake District, UK www.nwbac.com  
  27-30 August Norfolk Balloon Meet Old Buckenham, Norfolk, UK www.angliaballoonflights.com  
  September        
  3-5 September Brabant Balloon Festival Netherlands www.brabantseballonfeesten.nl  
  3-5 September West Country Balloon Festival Tavistock, Devon, UK www.westcountryballoons.com  
  3-6 September Gatineau Festival Montgolfieres Quebec, Canada www.montgolfieresgatineau.com  
  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  
  4-6 September Big Bend Balloon Bash Alpine, Texas, USA www.bigbendballoonbash.com  
  10-12 September Grassroots 2010 Sackville Lodge, Bedford, UK www.grassrootsballooning.org.uk  
  10-12 September Sunkiss Balloon Festival Hudson Falls, New York, USA www.sunkissballooning.com  
  10-12 September Atlantic International Balloon Festival Sussex, New Brunswick, Canada www.atlanticballoonfiesta.ca  
  10-12 September Huff n Puff Balloon Rally Topeka, Kansas, USA www.huff-n-puff.org  
  10-12 September Ballonnenparade 2010 Tilburg, Netherlands www.ballonnenparade.nl  
  11-12 September Elephant Butte Balloon Rally New Mexico, USA ebbr.org  
  11-12 September UK Grand Prix 3 Alconbury, Hunts, UK www.ballooncomps.org.uk  
  15-19 September Pre-European Championships Lleida, Spain www.europeans2011.org/lleida  
  16-19 September Croatia Balloon Rally Zagreb, Croatia info@baloni.hr  
  17-18 September Warsteiner Achterhoek Festival Sinderen, Netherlands www.achterhoekballooning.nl  
  17-19 September Great Midwest Balloon Fest Overland Park, Kansas, USA greatmidwestballoonfest@gmail.com  
  17-19 September Parkstadt Balloon Festival Hoensbroek, Netherlands www.parkstadballonfestival.nl  
  17-26 September Ferrara Balloon Festival Ferrara, Italy www.ferrarafestival.it  
  18-20 September Honda Grand Prix 3 Suzuka, Japan www.air-b.com  
  19-24 September The Irish Meet Ballymahon, Longford, Ireland joseph@newgatequikpick.com  
  24-26 September Bluegrass Balloon Festival Louisville, Kentucky, USA

www.bluegrassballoons.com

 
  24-26 September The Legends Balloon Rally Hot Springs, Arkansas, USA aerostation@bellsouth.net  
  24-26 September Parkstadt Balloon Hoensbroek, Netherlands www.parkstadballonfestival.nl  
  24 Sept - 2 Oct Coupe Gordon Bennett Bristol, UK www.gordonbennett2010.com  
  25-27 September Valleyfest Balloon Meet Spokane Valley, Washington, USA www.valleyfest.org  
  October        
  1-2 October Pellissippi State Balloon Festival Knoxville, Tennessee, USA www.pstcc.edu/balloons  
  2-10 October Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta New Mexico, USA www.balloonfiesta.com  
  2-10 October World Hot Air Balloon Championship Debrecen, Hungary www.deballoons.com  
  6-10 October Fragneto Monforte Balloon Festival Campania, Italy info@volareinmongolfiere.it  
  8-10 October Women's Balloon Event Oxford, UK balloonjourneys@alliedunnington.co.uk  
  8-10 October Vencimont Balloon Meeting Belgium info@aerovolare.be  
  15-17 October One Man Meet Wookey Hole, Somerset, UK phil@gonewiththewind.uk.com  
  15-17 October Balloons at Wolf Oak Acres Oneida, NY, USA www.wolfoakacres.com  
  15-17 October Vail Lake Key Grab Temecula, California, USA 4as@san.rr.com  
  15-17 October Great Mississippi River Balloon Race Natchez, Mississippi, USA www.natchezballoonrace.com  
  15-18 October La Laguna Balloon Festival Mexico www.balloonfestivalmexico.com  
  22-25 October Aguascalientes Balloon Fiesta Mexico www.balloonfestivalmexico.com  
  29-31 October One Man Meet Abroad Barolo, Italy info@balloonpromotion.com  
  29-31 October Ballunar Lift-Off Houston, Texas, USA www.ballunarfestival.com  
  November    
  1-10 November First Libyan Balloon Festival Libya www.prepare2go.com  
  3-7 November Saga International Balloon Fiesta Japan www.sibf.info  
  11-14 November Le Puy Balloon Meet Le Puy en Velay, France guerin.jm@wanadoo.fr  
  12-15 November Festival del Globo Leon, Mexico www.festivaldelglobo.com.mx  
  19-23 November Honda Grand Prix Championship Tochigi, Japan www.air-b.com  
  December        
  9-13 December Pattaya International Balloon Festival Thailand www.pibf.info  
           
  2011        
           
  January        
  22-30 January Chateau d'Oex Balloon Festival Switzerland Coming soon  
  April        
  8-10 April New Smyrna Beach Balloon & Sky Fest Florida, USA www.NewSmyrnaBeachBalloonFest.com  
  11-20 April Australian National Championships Canowindra, New South Wales,  Australia balloonjan@bigpond.com  
  September        
  15-23 September European Hot Air Balloon Championship Lleida, Spain www.europeans2011.org/lleida  
           
           
           
           
           
  Want to list your balloon meet here? Email info@balloonevents.org  
      Include: Date  
      I Name of festival  
    Location  
    Contact details or website  
       
  Would you like to have balloons come to your event? Email the following details to info@balloonevents.org  
      Include:    
       

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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