The Great Reno Balloon Race

03/30/2023

Up, Up, and Away! Our pilots love the roaring cheers of guests as they take flight.

Photo Credit: Cynthia Brittain

03/30/2023

Prepping for adventure! 🤩

03/30/2023

Life is very good!

03/20/2023

I don't want to sound like a steampunk apologist but you've got to admit that hot air balloons are the most beautiful form of transport out there: even the most jaded city cynic will stop to marvel at the rare sight of technicoloured gondolas, floating through the skies. So you'd have thought that an annual festival where dozens of hot air balloons soar over central London would be accompanied by a tsunami of hype.

But actually, most people have never heard of the Lord Mayor's Hot Air Balloon Regatta. And that's because balloons are finicky sorts of things. The Regatta had to be cancelled in 2020 because of Covid. Then, bad weather put paid to Londoners' balloon-gazing dreams in 2021 and 2022.

We think this'll really blow up

03/20/2023

The Federal Aviation Administration announced it will not require an expensive piece of technology that would have impacted pilots at Balloon Fiesta.

Scott Appelman, president & CEO of Rainbow Ryders Ballooning Company, became one of the main connections between the ballooning community and the FAA. Through months of meetings they’ve come up with a solution for an issue that had many pilots deflated.

The Federal Aviation Administration announced it will not require an expensive piece of technology that would have impacted pilots at Balloon Fiesta.

03/20/2023

Horseshoe Bay Resort hosts one of the most anticipated events of the year. People come here from all over the country and even from overseas to enjoy each other’s company and the spectacular hot-air balloon display. Come to Horseshoe Bay Resort to see hot air balloons from all over the United States and indulge in other fun activities, like a live music concert, skydiving, helicopter rides, balloon glows, Arts and Crafts Vendor Fair, a dog show, face painting sessions, great food, and more.

Horseshoe Bay Resort hosts one of the most anticipated events of the year. People come here from all over the country and even from overseas to enjoy each other’s company and the spectacular hot-air balloon display. Come to Horseshoe Bay Resort to see hot air balloons from all over the United Stat...

03/20/2023

If you are looking for a unique and exciting experience this spring, look no further than the 19th annual Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival! This three-day event, held from May 4th to May 6th, 2023, is a family-friendly festival that features over 50 hot air balloons from across the country. Located in Foley, Alabama, at the OWA Parks & Resort, this festival is a perfect opportunity to spend a weekend filled with adventure, entertainment, and unforgettable memories.

The Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival kicks off on Thursday, May 4th, from 5p-9p, with a balloon glow that is sure to take your breath away (wind and weather permitting). The festival also features live entertainment, vendors, and various activities for all ages. The fun continues on Friday and Saturday, May 5th and 6th, from 11a-10p, with a plethora of exciting events planned throughout the day and into the evening.

Foley, Ala. - (OBA) - If you are looking for a unique and exciting experience this spring, look no further than the 19th annual Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival! This three-day event, held from May 4th to May 6th, 2023, is a family-friendly festival that features over 50 hot air balloons from acr...

03/20/2023

Hamilton’s much-loved Balloons over Waikato hot air balloon festival celebrated a glorious comeback to the region this week, but the grand finale is yet to come.

While the weather cancelled this morning’s lift-off and tonight’s Balloons visit Waipā event at the Mighty River Domain, the organisers hope to still go ahead with the Basket Burn at The Base shopping centre. An update on this is expected this afternoon at 3.30pm.

The completely booked-out Zuru Nightglow will light up at Claudelands Oval this year, with 25,000 people set to be in attendance - all other keen punters are advised to enjoy the show “from the comfort of their own homes” by tuning into the livestream.

Event organiser Michele Connell says the festival had a “fantastic start” on Tuesday morning, with an estimated 3000 to 5000 people gathering at Innes Common to see the balloons lifting off.

The grand finale of Balloons over Waikato can still be enjoyed from home.

03/20/2023

The Center for Hope and Healing is excited to launch their first-ever Carson Valley Hot Air for Hope Balloon Festival May 19-21. The weekend celebration will feature a race between 25 hot air balloons, a night glow event, arts festival, craft booths, food trucks, live music and other performing arts.

This free event is the second in a three-part hot air balloon race series: Lover’s Aloft took place over Valentine’s Day weekend in Lovelock, Hot Air for Hope is scheduled in May, and the Great Reno Balloon Race takes place September 8-10.

Hot Air for Hope is a fundraising and awareness event for the 501(c)3 non-profit CHH, which relies on grants, donations, and fundraisers to provide free grief support to anyone dealing with the loss of a loved one. The center’s services include peer sharing and support groups, home visits, community outreach and education, and an annual summer grief camp for children ages 7 to 17. CHH also offers age-appropriate backpacks filled with items that can help recipients memorialize their loved one and resources to help process different stages of grief.

CHH Executive Director Amanda Johnson said there are a number of ways to get involved with Hot Air for Hope. Event sponsors will enjoy exclusive opportunities that can include advertising, balloon rides, a pilot meet & greet event, and more. Anyone from the local community and surrounding areas looking to volunteer will have an opportunity to help crew balloons (field or chase) or assist with other festival operations. Organizers are also accepting applications from performers, non-profits, and food or craft vendors interested in having a booth at the event. All applications are available at hotairforhope.com/participate.

Ranchos Roundup

03/10/2023

In the skies above Reno, Nevada, Darth Vader soars through the sky—but not in his TIE Fighter. Instead, it’s just Vader’s iconic helmet, reincarnated as an 87 ft.-tall hot air balloon, with a comparatively small flame underneath to keep him afloat in the stratosphere. On the ground, below this inflatable shrine to the famed Sith Lord, a legion of loyal Stormtroopers—along with a breathing, life-sized version of Vader himself—salute along with other Star Wars fanatics.

From classic, colorful balloons to those shaped like armadillos and Darth Vader’s recognizable noggin, the annual race is a fun experience for families.

03/10/2023

It’s a yearly tradition: Reno residents wake up bright and early in September, right as the weather starts to cool, and head up to Rancho San Rafael Regional Park, where hundreds of hot air balloons ascend above the city.

As the brightly colored balloons filled the morning sky, spectators marveled at their beauty during the three-day event spanning Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Great Reno Balloon Race has been a community staple since 1981, when the event only featured 20 balloons. This year the gathering — billed as the “world’s largest free hot-air ballooning event” — brought balloons (and balloonists) from across the country. The balloons themselves came in all shapes and sizes — from the classic teardrop shape to more exotic ones in the form of Darth Vader or a blue armadillo, aptly named “Sheriff Airmadillo.”

With smoke from the Mosquito Fire settling into the Reno basin and worsening air quality, some feared the event might be canceled, but despite the smoke, the colorful behemoths took flight.

It’s a yearly tradition, Reno residents wake up bright and early in September, right as the weather starts to cool, and head up to Rancho San Rafael Regional Park, where hundreds of hot air balloons ascend above the city.

03/10/2023

The 41st annual Great Reno Balloon Race is now officially underway!

The special shapes that will bring GRBR to life this year include: Darth Vader, Daz, Yellow Bird, Puddy Cat, Tico the Sloth, Tiger, UFO, Billy the Kid, Montie the Black Sheep, Sheriff Airmadillo, and Smokey Bear.

The 41st annual event officially started Friday morning in Reno.

03/10/2023

The Center for Hope and Healing is excited to launch their first-ever Carson Valley Hot Air for Hope Balloon Festival May 19-21. The weekend celebration will feature a race between 25 hot air balloons, a night glow event, arts festival, craft booths, food trucks, live music and other performing arts.

This free event is the second in a three-part hot air balloon race series: Lover’s Aloft took place over Valentine’s Day weekend in Lovelock, Hot Air for Hope is scheduled in May, and the Great Reno Balloon Race takes place September 8-10.

Hot Air for Hope is a fundraising and awareness event for the 501(c)3 non-profit CHH, which relies on grants, donations, and fundraisers to provide free grief support to anyone dealing with the loss of a loved one. The center’s services include peer sharing and support groups, home visits, community outreach and education, and an annual summer grief camp for children ages 7 to 17. CHH also offers age-appropriate backpacks filled with items that can help recipients memorialize their loved one and resources to help process different stages of grief.

CHH Executive Director Amanda Johnson said there are a number of ways to get involved with Hot Air for Hope. Event sponsors will enjoy exclusive opportunities that can include advertising, balloon rides, a pilot meet & greet event, and more. Anyone from the local community and surrounding areas looking to volunteer will have an opportunity to help crew balloons (field or chase) or assist with other festival operations. Organizers are also accepting applications from performers, non-profits, and food or craft vendors interested in having a booth at the event. All applications are available at hotairforhope.com/participate.

Ranchos Roundup

03/10/2023

The 2022 Great Reno Balloon Race will be from Friday, September 9 through Sunday, September 11. Come to Rancho San Rafael Regional Park to marvel at the world's largest free hot air balloon event.

It's free to attend the Great Reno Balloon Race, an event for the whole family. You do have to get up early, though, since hot air ballooning is an early morning sport and some activities start well before the sun comes up.

Information about the Great Reno Ballon Race event at Rancho San Rafael Park in Reno, Nevada, NV

03/10/2023

The Great Reno Balloon Race takes place annually in September at Rancho San Rafael Regional Park in Reno, Nevada. This massive ballooning celebration features about 100 hot air balloons. Over 120,000 people attend the four-day festival every year. Held since 1982, The Great Reno Balloon Race has become an internationally-renowned event voted ‘Best Special Event in Reno’ and ‘Best Special Event in Northern Nevada.’

The Great Reno Balloon Race takes place annually in September at Rancho San Rafael Regional Park in Reno, Nevada. This massive ballooning celebration features about 100 hot air balloons. Over 120,000 people attend the four-day festival every year. Held since 1982, The Great Reno Balloon Race has bec

03/10/2023

The Great Reno Balloon Races are nothing short of tradition in Washoe County. On the ground, spectators—some still comfortably clad in pajamas—sit atop blankets and camp chairs or even bundled up in their sleeping bags, gripping hot beverages and gazing into the pre-dawn sky for the ethereal Super Glow Show that takes place before the sun even peeks above the horizon.

Some spectators opt for a more luxurious show and view the hundreds of hot air balloons in Reno from the comfort of a clear, heated tent with a 360-degree view at the Cloud 9 Club. This VIP club experience features catered food from Reno-Tahoe vendors, special parking passes, and a hosted mimosa bar. Learn more about the Cloud 9 VIP Club here, and turn this classic event in Northern Nevada into a day you’ll never forget!

The Great Reno Balloon Races are the world’s largest free hot air balloon festival, held right in the heart of downtown Reno at Rancho San Rafael Regional Park. View 100 or more balloons from anywhere in the park, or experience this family friendly event in comfort from a catered, heated tent with...

03/10/2023

Soaring high above the Reno skyline, upwards of 80+ beautiful hot-air balloons take flight. It has been one of Reno’s most colorful and spectacular events for over three decades and is located just 2 miles from downtown Reno! Sure, it might be a bit earlier than you’re used to, but it’s worth the wake! The Great Reno Balloon Race is free to the public and spectators have the ability to explore balloons up close on the field. Kids, keep an eye out for special trading cards of your favorite balloons! The activity schedule includes the following highlights:

Glow Show and Dawn Patrol: An amazing predawn spectacle as balloons twinkle against the dark sky making way for mass ascension.
Mass Ascension: It’s an incredible site when over 80 colorful balloons fill the sky. An Instagram-worthy moment!
Special-Shaped balloons: Whimsical special shaped balloons are always a favorite among fans. Who will make a special appearance at the 2022 festival?
SUPER-Glow Show: On Friday morning, the glow show goes BIG as 25-30 glowing balloons are choreographed to music
Balloon Boulevard: Features a variety of food, crafts, art and souvenirs
Cloud 9 VIP Tent: A comfortable and convenient way to enjoy the show. The Cloud 9 VIP Club offers individuals and businesses the opportunity to have a front-row seat to all the excitement that goes on during the event. Daily memberships include catered breakfast, parking, champagne and other goodies

The Great Reno Balloon Race returns to Rancho San Rafael Regional Park for three days of family-friendly fun, September 8-10, 2023.

03/10/2023

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
The Great Reno Balloon Race is FREE to spectators thanks to the generous support of event sponsors. The event is always scheduled to take place the first Friday through Sunday after Labor Day.

The Great Reno Balloon Race 2023
September 8th – 10th

Thursday, September 7
Media Preview Day
6:45 a.m. – National Anthem
6:45 a.m. – Preview Day Launch (Sponsors and Invited Media)

Friday, September 8
3:30 a.m. – Gates open to Rancho San Rafael Regional Park
5:00 a.m. – Super Glow Show
5:30 a.m. – Dawn Patrol
6:45 a.m. – National Anthem
7:00 a.m. – Mass Ascension Launch
9:30 a.m. – E.L. Cord Foundation Tissue Paper Balloon Launch
4:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m – Shopping along Balloon Boulevard

Saturday, September 9
Paint The Park Pink
3:30 a.m. – Gates open to Rancho San Rafael Regional Park
5:00 a.m. – Super Glow Show
5:30 a.m. – Dawn Patrol
6:50 a.m. National Anthem
7:00 a.m. – Mass Ascension Launch
4:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.- Shopping along Balloon Boulevard

Sunday, September 10
Donor Awareness Day
3:30 a.m. – Gates open to Rancho San Rafael Regional Park
5:00 a.m – Super Glow Show
5:30 a.m. – Dawn Patrol
6:50 a.m. – National Anthem
7:00 a.m. – Mass Ascension Launch
4:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.- Shopping along Balloon Boulevard

EVENT LOCATION
Rancho San Rafael Regional Park
1595 N. Sierra St.
Reno, Nevada

The Great Reno Balloon Race is FREE to spectators thanks to the generous support of event sponsors. The event is always scheduled to take place the first Friday through Sunday after Labor Day.

03/10/2023

The Great Reno Balloon Race is the world’s largest free hot-air ballooning event. During four days in early September, you can look up into the Reno skies and see a rainbow of hot air balloons soaring about. From its humble beginnings in 1982 with just 20 balloons, The Great Reno Balloon Race has taken flight with up to 100 balloons each year. The idea was to create an event that would keep visitors in town the weekend between the State Fair and the Reno Air Races and 41 years later, it is known as a world-renowned, and locally, a beloved community tradition.

Taking place just a few miles north of downtown Reno at Rancho San Rafael Regional Park, the event enchants both young and old with its vibrant colors and inspiring music. The Great Reno Balloon Race has won many awards over the years, including ‘Best Special Event in Reno’ and ‘Best Special Event in Northern Nevada.’ With an average of 120,000+ spectators attending the event each year, the number of lives touched by the beautiful spectacle continues to rise just like the balloons themselves.

The Great Reno Balloon Race is the world’s largest free hot-air ballooning event. During three days in early September, you can look up into the Reno skies and see a rainbow of hot air balloons soaring about. From its humble beginnings in 1982 with just 20 balloons, The Great Reno Balloon Race has...