Summer Hot Air Balloon Festivals in the Southeast
Dozens of colorful hot air balloons will cross the skies of several cities in the southeast this summer. These balloon festivals attract thousands of attendees and provide fun for the whole family. Adventurers will enjoy breathtaking views on balloon flights. Even the tethered rides offer a thrilling experience. Here are some of the most popular summer balloon festivals in the Southeast.
Freedom Aloft Weekend takes place on Memorial Weekend, May 27-30, at Heritage Park in Simpsonville, South Carolina. This popular festival has been a tradition in northern South Carolina for 29 years. Seventy to eighty colored balloons participate each year. Attendees can book a balloon ride, go on a leash ride, watch the dog disc championships and enjoy family-friendly activities every day of the festival. Several concerts take place over the weekend at the Heritage Park Amphitheater and are included in the price of admission. Advance ticket prices are $7.50 for adults, and kids 12 and under are free with a paying adult. Ticket prices during the event are $10 per day from May 27-29 and admission is free on May 30. Parking is $5 per day. Festival hours are 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Fridays, 12:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, and 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Mondays.
The 7th Annual Gulf Coast Balloon Festival is scheduled for Father’s Day weekend, June 17-19 in Foley, Alabama. This festival near the beaches of the Alabama Gulf usually features 45 hot air balloons and attracts 80,000 visitors. The venue is the Foley Sportspark and admission is free. A free shuttle service is available from three parking lots. The festival features competition flights, children’s entertainment, world-famous Frisbee dogs, musical entertainment, and an arts and crafts show. Hours are 8 am to 10 pm on Friday, 6 am to 10 pm on Saturday, and 6 am to 10:30 am on Sunday. The festival is a great way to entertain Dad on his special weekend.
Rotary BB&T’s 15th Annual July 4th Balloon Rally will take place July 2-5 at the VMI Parade Ground in Lexington, Virginia. Attendees can enjoy hot air balloon rides over the picturesque Shenandoah Valley at 6:30 am and 6:30 pm. Visitors can also enjoy children’s activities, music, crafts, and fireworks on the 4th of July. Admission to the festival is free and a bus service is available to the parking lots.
The 38th Annual Helen to the Atlantic Hot Air Balloon Race is also scheduled for the 4th of July weekend. This is the oldest hot air balloon event in the South and the only long-distance hot air balloon race in the US. Usually 6-10 balloons compete in the race. Takeoff is at 7 am on July 2 from Helen, Georgia, a picturesque alpine town in the mountains of North Georgia. The finish line is I-95 anywhere along the East Coast from Florida to Maine. The shortest distance is 225 miles and the race usually takes two days to complete. There are other local balloon events for those not participating in the coast run. Festival goers can take moored rides or book hour-long champagne flights over the mountains. The balloons will fly at 7:30 am and 6:00 pm and will be released throughout the city.
Summer ends with Callaway Gardens’ popular Sky High Hot Air Balloon Festival on Labor Day weekend. The Callaway Gardens Resort is located in Pine Mountain, Georgia, about an hour and a half southwest of Atlanta. The festival includes balloon rides, music, and family activities. Attendees look forward to the popular balloon glow on Friday night, when beautifully lit balloons reflect off the water at the resort’s Robin Lake Beach.
All of these hot air balloon festivals offer a full weekend of fun activities. Attendees will get an up close and personal view of many spectacular balloons, and may even get to take the flight of a lifetime.