Keep an Eye on the Sky at These Popular Midwest Hot Air Balloon Festivals
The Midwest has lots of must-see events and fun-filled festivals every year, but few events are as awe-inspiring and colorful as hot air balloon festivals. Offering tethered balloon rides, balloon glows, balloon races, and other events, these festivals present sparkling displays of color as well as fun for the whole family.
Jackson Hot Air Jubilee
Jackson, Michigan
One of Michigan’s oldest ballooning events takes place each July in Ella Sharp Park. More than two dozen balloons offer daily entertainment and rides, including a Balloon Night Glow. Other festivities include a Kids’ Kingdom with activities for youngsters, kite demonstrations, and live music.
RELATED: Check out more exciting hot air balloon festivals in Michigan.
All Ohio Balloon Festival
Marysville, Ohio
The All Ohio Balloon Festival has been an August Buckeye State tradition since 1975. Visitors can enjoy hot air balloon rides, tethered balloon rides, helicopter and biplane rides, food and craft vendors, balloon glows, laser shows, and more.
RELATED: Check out more exciting hot air balloon festivals in Ohio.
Great Galena Balloon Race
Galena, Illinois
Galena is a town full of history, but the Great Galena Balloon Race is a local favorite that fills the skies with color each June. Visitors can enjoy different balloon races, night glows, a classic car show, and more.
Columbus Day Festival Hot Air Balloon Regatta
Columbus, Kansas
One of the fastest-growing festivals in Southeast Kansas features nearly two dozen balloons that decorate the fall sky each October. Festivities begin with a Friday balloon glow and continue over the weekend with three regattas. The event has become the center of Columbus Day festivities and also includes a quilt show, a scarecrow contest, a petting zoo, and live entertainment.
Medora Annual Hot Air Balloon Rally and Kite Festival
Medora, North Dakota
Medora’s annual balloon festival occurs in September during the final weekend of the Medora Musical. Visitors young and old can see colorful balloons take to the sky in the Badlands and make lasting memories as they watch numerous balloons take flight or try their hand at flying festive, colorful kites — visitors can bring their own kites too.
National Balloon Classic
Indianola, Iowa
Prepare for vibrant displays of color as over 100 hot air balloons take to the sky for one of the Midwest’s biggest balloon displays. Visitors of all ages can enjoy live music performances, night glows, balloon flights, and a multi-day competition where hot air balloons make the sky pop with color.
Jupiter Flights Balloon Festival
Fishers, Indiana
The pleasing and colorful glow of balloons is strong each September as over 40 balloons take to the sky in central Indiana. Visitors can enjoy balloon glows, balloon competitions, plenty of vendors, and a specially-made Sun King brew — a blueberry-infused sour ale that’s fruity and tart.
Great Forest Park Balloon Race
St. Louis, Missouri
The Gateway to the West’s annual September tradition brings upwards of 100,000 spectators to enjoy two days of fun, and one of the nation’s running hot air balloon races. What started with a few balloons in 1973 has grown into a must-see event with more than 50 balloons.
Falls City Hot Air Balloon Festival
Falls City, Nebraska
Hot air balloon festivals are all about fun and Falls City’s summer festival features hot air balloon launches, a fireworks show, a mega kite show, food trucks, and much more. Visitors are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets and watch the fun unfold in the sky.
Sunflower Balloon Fest
Anthony, Kansas
This three-day event has all the right ingredients for a good time: hot air balloon rides, a kite festival, a car show, a parade, and much more. It’s an event the whole family can enjoy and it’s a great way to experience the fun of a Midwest festival.
Fall River Hot Air Balloon Festival
Hot Springs, South Dakota
This annual August festival is held at the Hot Springs Municipal Airport, giving all attendees plenty of space to spread out. Visitors can enjoy many activities, including “Glow Around Town,” where balloons group into small pods and light up at several spots around town.
Taste N Glow Balloon Festival
Wausau, Wisconsin
Amid the hustle and bustle of summer, visitors can flock to Wausau in July to watch the dazzling nighttime glow of balloons and the majestic colors of balloons of all shapes and sizes during daytime flights. This family festival also includes log rollers, a car show, dragon lion dancers, live music, and more.
Balloons Over Bay Harbor
Bay Harbor, Michigan
One of Michigan’s newer balloon festivals takes place each September and features colorful balloons piloted by some of the best balloon pilots in the country. Visitors can enjoy colorful views of balloons over Little Traverse Bay, nightly balloon glows, kids’ activities, a fun run, and meet-and-greets with balloon pilots.
Ashland BalloonFest
Ashland, Ohio
For over 30 years, Ashland’s Freer Field has been the site of three days of non-stop fun. With so many kid-based activities, no youngster will be bored here. Visitors can enjoy a variety of balloon events, including night glows as well as live entertainment.
Huff ‘n Puff Hot Air Balloon Rally
Topeka, Kansas
In the heart of the Plains, festivalgoers can travel to Mount Hope Balloon Field for a festival that includes morning and evening flights, and balloon glows. The festival also includes a balloon discovery workshop for youngsters in grades 6-8 to learn about hot air balloons through first-hand experience.
Lakeshore Balloon Glow
Manitowoc, Wisconsin
The Lake Michigan shoreline comes alive with color in August during this free event that features colorful, glowing hot air balloons, fireworks, food trucks, a waterski show, and many other family-friendly activities. It’s the perfect event for enjoying one last slice of summer before the arrival of fall.
Quad Cities Hot Air Balloon Festival
Davenport, Iowa
Visitors of all ages can keep their eyes trained on the skies as they enjoy this August extravaganza with no shortage of activities. Youngsters can enjoy bounce houses and tethered balloon rides while adults can enjoy car and motorcycle shows and balloon launches. At night, all visitors can enjoy the soothing light of balloon glows.
Caledonia Balloon Rallies
Caledonia, Minnesota
Taking place during the Wild Turkey Fest Celebration in October and during Winter Wonderland in December, these rallies offer chances for visitors to enjoy balloon rides and launches (weather permitting).
Balloons Over 66
Lincoln, Illinois
With nearly three dozen balloons on hand, visitors can see plenty of vibrant colors in the sky as they watch launches, balloon glows, and take balloon rides. The celebration culminates with early morning flights on Sunday in hopes of having balloons fly right over downtown Lincoln. Other activities include a 5K, craft and vendor show, food trucks, and live entertainment.
Hot Air Balloon Glow
Ozark, Missouri
This annual summer event has been going strong for almost 20 years, entertaining visitors with colorful nighttime balloon displays that light up the sky. Attendees can see these massive balloons up close, talk to pilots, and stand in the balloons’ baskets. Guests can also enjoy carnival attractions and food and drinks from local vendors.
Balloons Over Bavaria
Frankenmuth, Michigan
Frankenmuth is always teeming with activity and this May festival is a highlight of spring. Attendees can enjoy morning and evening lift-offs, nightly balloon glows, and plenty of free family fun.
Coshocton Hot Air Balloon Festival
Coshocton, Ohio
For over 40 years, colorful hot air balloons have been a mainstay at the Coshocton Hot Air Balloon Festival. Eager festivalgoers can enjoy night glows, hot air balloon launches, live music, food and craft vendors, kids’ activities, and fireworks.
Hudson Hot Air Affair
Hudson, Wisconsin
For more than 30 years, the Hudson Hot AIr Affair has been the perfect event for shaking off winter’s chill. Visitors can enjoy watching the flights of colorful balloons, live entertainment, kids’ fishing contests, and much more.
Terre Haute Balloon Festival
Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute’s Balloon Festival has all the ingredients families need to create lasting memories. Visitors can enjoy unforgettable tethered balloon rides, foot-stomping live music, evening balloon glows, and a kids’ zone with inflatables, face painting, and more.
Centralia Balloon Fest
Centralia, Illinois
This three-day balloon spectacular features at least three dozen hot air balloons, good food, live entertainment, kids’ activities, and much more. Visitors can keep their eyes trained on the skies as all balloons fly in an evening flight on the first day and enjoy nightly balloon glows too.
Lake Red Rock Balloon Fest
Pella, Iowa
A highlight of the summer in central Iowa features lots of vibrant balloons, including nightly glows and morning and evening launches. Visitors can also enjoy an evening boat parade, vendors, kids’ beach activities, and live music.
Michigan Challenge Balloonfest
Howell, Michigan
This annual June festival at Howell High School has been a Michigan favorite since 1984 and is considered to be Michigan’s state championship for hot air ballooning. In addition to balloon glows, attendees can enjoy skydiving jumps, live music, and more.
Champaign County Balloon Festival
Champaign, Illinois
Whether you’re a seasoned balloon festivalgoer or a first-timer, there’s plenty of fun for everyone at this annual balloon celebration. Each day of the festival includes the launch of at least a dozen balloons participating in challenges, carnival rides, tethered rides, and more.
Angola Balloons Aloft
Angola, Indiana
As its name suggests, this annual summer Indiana festival features many balloons — at least 30, in fact. Visitors can enjoy both glows and watching morning flights along with a slew of other fun events. Visitors can also enjoy helicopter rides, festival foods, and a classic car show.
Freedom Festival Balloon Glow
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Make no mistake, balloons are the star of this summer event, including a massive balloon glows. But the festivities also include a Bohemian flea market, a kids zone, and a music and arts festival. It’s the perfect mix of visual fun, shopping, and hands-on experiences the whole family can enjoy.
Sikeston Hot Air Balloon Festival
Sikeston, Missouri
The Sikeston Rodeo Grounds are the setting for this colorful festival, which began in 2023. Visitors can enjoy tethered balloon rides, balloon flights, balloon glows, kids activities, and live music.
Skyfest Marysville
Marysville, Kansas
A celebration of community and sky-high fun comes together each summer for balloon glows, fireworks displays, parachuters, local food vendors, live entertainment, and more. It’s an unforgettable event that gets thousands of eyes trained on the sky and lit up in amazement at the wonderful spectacle before them.
Stratobowl Historic Hot Air Balloon Launch
Rapid City, South Dakota
The Stratobowl is a famous aviation landmark where research for early space exploration once took place. Today, it hosts an annual balloon launch that allows visitors to watch dozens of colorful balloons in flight — and take paid hot air balloon rides.
Attend a Midwest Hot Air Balloon Festival This Year
From Michigan to Iowa to Illinois and many other spots in the Midwest, hot air balloon festivals have something to offer everyone. Whether you’re a longtime festival attendee or you’re considering attending your first festival, hot air balloon festivals are exciting, fun-filled affairs that will leave you anything but disappointed.