Hot air balloon festivals
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hot air balloon festivals are held annually in many places throughout the year, and give a chance for balloonists to participate in balloon races and display their balloons during evening balloon glows, and for the public to participate in the spectacle of many balloons gathered in one spot and to learn about the sport.
| Festival | Location | Year Started | Official Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 Novotel Balloon Fiesta Australia | Canberra (ACT, Australia) | 1985 | [1] |
| US National Hot Air Balloon Championship (BFA) | Varies (Anderson, South Carolina in 2006) | 1963 | [2] |
| National Balloon Classic | Indianola, Iowa | 1969 | [3] |
| Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta | Albuquerque, New Mexico | 1972 | [4] |
| National Balloon Rally | Statesville, North Carolina | 1973 | [5] |
| World Hot Air Balloon Championship | Varies (Tochigi, Japan in 2006) | 1973 | [6] |
| Adirondack Hot Air Balloon Festival | Glens Falls, New York | 1973 | [7] |
| Great Forest Park Balloon Race | Saint Louis, Missouri | 1973 | [8] |
| Helen to the Atlantic Balloon Race | Helen, Georgia | 1974 | [9] |
| Thunderbird Balloon Classic | Glendale, Arizona | 1975 | [10] |
| Alabama Jubilee Hot Air Balloon Classic | Decatur, Alabama | 1977 | [11] |
| Colorado Balloon Classic | Colorado Springs, Colorado | 1977 | [12] |
| Great Pershing Balloon Derby | Brookfield, Missouri | 1977 | |
| Great Texas Balloon Race | Longview, Texas | 1977 | [13] |
| International Balloon Festival | Château-d'Oex, Switzerland | 1978 | [14] (French/English) |
| Bristol International Balloon Fiesta | Bristol, UK | 1979 | [15] |
| Ravenna Balloon A-Fair | Ravenna, Ohio | 1979 | [16] |
| Ashland Ballonfest | Ashland, Ohio | 1990 | [17] |
| Blossom Time Balloon Festival | Chagrin Falls, Ohio | 1988 | [18] |
| Field of Flight Air Show and Balloon Festival | Battle Creek, Michigan | 1980 | [19] |
| Plano Balloon Festival | Plano, Texas | 1980 | [20] |
| Eyes to the Skies Festival | Lisle, Illinois | 1981 | [21] |
| Great Reno Balloon Race | Reno, Nevada | 1981 | [22] |
| New York State Festival of Balloons | Dansville, New York | 1981 | [23] |
| Freedom Weekend Aloft | Anderson, South Carolina | 1982 | [24] |
| Ballonfiësta Barneveld | Barneveld, The Netherlands | 1983 | [25](Dutch) |
| London International Hot Air Balloon Festival | London, Ontario | 1983 | [26] |
| Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning | Readington Township, New Jersey | 1983 | [27] |
| Michigan Challenge | Howell, Michigan | 1984 | [28] |
| Hot Air Jubilee | Jackson, Michigan | 1984 | [29] |
| St. Patrick's Day Balloon Rallye | Los Lunas, New Mexico | 1984 | [30] |
| Kinsmen Cornwall Lift Off | Cornwall, Ontario | 1994 | [31] |
| Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival | Temecula, California | 1984 | [32] |
| Atlantic Balloon Fiesta | Sussex, New Brunswick | 1985 | [33] |
| Spiedie Fest and Balloon Rally | Binghamton, New York | 1985 | [34] |
| Hot Air Balloons Championship of Poland | Poland | 1985 | |
| University Motors Mountaineer Balloon Festival | Morgantown, West Virginia | 1985 | [35] |
| Breda Balloon Fiësta | Breda, The Netherlands | 1986 | [36] |
| High Hopes Hot Air Balloon Festival | Milford, New Hampshire | 1986 | [37] |
| Warsteiner Internationale Montgolfiade | Warstein, Germany | 1986 | [38] |
| Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival | Gatineau, Quebec | 1988 | [39] |
| Kiwanis Balloonfest | Valparaiso, Indiana | 1991 | |
| The Great Prosser Balloon Rally | Prosser, Washington | 1988 | [40] |
| Colorado River Crossing Balloon Festival | Yuma, Arizona | 1990 | [41] |
| Centralia Balloon Festival | Centralia, Illinois | 1990 | [42] |
| European Hot Air Balloon Championships | varies | 1992 | |
| Mid-Hudson Valley Balloon Festival | Poughkeepsie, New York | 1992 | [43] |
| Great Falls Balloon Festival | Lewiston / Auburn, Maine | 1992 | Great Falls Balloon Festival |
| RE/MAX Ballunar Liftoff Festival | Houston - Johnson Space Center, Texas | 1993 | [44] |
| Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta | Clark Field, Pampanga, Philippines | 1994 | [45] |
| Mansfield Balloon Festival | Victoria, Australia | 1995 | [46] |
| Northwest Connecticut Balloon Festival | Connecticut | 1995 | [47] |
| Saxonia International Balloon Fiesta | Leipzig, Germany | 1995 | [48] |
| Great Northern Balloon Festival & Air Show | Greenville, New York | 1998 | [49] |
| Adam Matthews Balloon Festival | Louisville, Kentucky | 1999 | [50] |
| Adam Matthews Balloon Festival Changed to Bluegrass Balloon Festival | Louisville, Kentucky | 1999 | [51] |
| US NABA National Championships | Varies (Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 2006) | 2000 | [52] |
| Warren County Farmers' Fair Balloon Festival | New Jersey | 2000 | [53] |
| Big Bear Balloon Festival | Ohio | 2002 | |
| Guanajuato International Air Balloon Festival | Mexico | 2002 | |
| Northwest Art and Air Festival | Albany, Oregon | 2000 | |
| Dubai Balloon Festival | Dubai, UAE | 2006 | [55] |
| Guanajuato International Air Balloon Festival | León, Guanajuato, Mexico | 2006 | [56](Spanish) |
| Ferrara International Balloons Festival | Ferrara, Emilia Romagna, Italy | 2005 | [57](Italian/English) |
| Genesis Wairarapa International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta | Wairarapa, North Island, New Zealand | [58](English) | |
| Balloons over Waikato | Hamilton, North Island, New Zealand | [59](English) | |
| Northwest Georgia Hot Air Balloon Festival | Menlo, Georgia | 2008 | [60] [61] |
| Bluff Balloon Festival | Bluff, Utah | 1998 | class="wikitable" |
| International Balloon Grand Prix Todi | Todi, Umbria, Italy | 1988 | |
| Thurston Classic | Meadville, Pennsylvania | 1988 | [62] |
| Sierra Vista Festival of Color | Sierra Vista, Arizona | 1989 | [63] |
