Michele Cooke
Hot Air Balloons
The Carolina BalloonFest has been a tradition in Iredell County, NC for over 40 years. It began in 1974 as a Balloon Rally and has grown into much more than a simple display of hot air balloons. This NC festival is the 2nd longest (consecutively) held hot air balloon event in the United States.
The 2015 BalloonFest is just around the corner. It will be held October 16-18 in Statesville, NC. The three day festival includes:
- Hot air balloon launches (once on Friday and twice on Saturday and Sunday)
- Live entertainment
- Kid Zone featuring inflatables, bungee jump, a climbing wall, a walk-in balloon and magic shows
- Wine and beer garden
- Balloon learning center
- Pilot meet and greets
- 5K run and kids fun run (on Sunday)
Tethered balloon rides are available on Saturday and Sunday and cost $5 for children and $10 for adults. For those with a more adventurous spirit, hot air balloon rides can be booked for $250 per person during the festival.
For more information on the Carolina Balloonfest or to purchase admission tickets, visit the festival website.
Festival Review: After attending the festival with my family, I would certainly recommend this event to anyone. We spent the day relaxing while listening to some great live bands. We also enjoyed walking inside a hot-air balloon, visiting local artisans, meeting balloon pilots and eating some delicious food. The highlight, of course, was the mass ascension of the balloons in the afternoon. Watching the balloons inflate and the amazing flying machine soar into the air was truly beautiful.
