The Great Forest Park Balloon Race

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The Great Forest Park Balloon Race

Free family-friendly weekend loaded with activities and 50+ hot air balloons! Sept. 20 & 21, 2024. Visit our website to find out more!
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The Great Forest Park Balloon Race, presented by PNC Bank, will return to Emerson Central Fields in Forest Park on Friday (THE GLOW), Sept 15 and Saturday (RACE DAY), Sept. 16. This much-loved annual tradition brings families and friends together for two days of outdoor fun, “wow” moments, new experiences and memories that will last a lifetime. And, thanks to the generosity of our event sponsors,

attendance is FREE for all to enjoy! The race, which celebrated it's 50th year in 2022, is widely considered one of the best in the country – it was even inducted into the Library of Congress and honored as a “Local Legacy” in 2000. The event started as a small affair in 1973, featuring just seven balloons and about a dozen spectators on Cricket Field in the northern edge of Forest Park. Since then, it’s grown to new heights - welcoming more than 100,000 spectators over the weekend each year. And, there's so much joy around these balloons - from the grandparent introducing their grandchildren
to an event they've been attending for years, to a group of friends, or a couple on their first date, GFPBR brings smiles, "wow" moments, new experiences and memories that last a lifetime. http://greatforestparkballoonrace.com/

10/15/2024

Did you catch the Purina Pro Plan Performance Team at the this year? This energetic and talented canine crew put on two show-stopping performances on Race Day that were not to be missed! The team features several rescue dogs, on a mission to prove that with premium nutrition, proper training, and lots of unconditional love, any dog has the ability to be extraordinary. We are so thankful to our sponsor, Purina for helping us further create unforgettable memories for the whole family. We love the pups! 🐕🐶

10/03/2024

A huge THANK YOU to our friends at Kranzberg Arts Foundation for programming live music for the Wash U Main Stage at this year. What a treat to have had young musicians from HEAL Center for the Arts and Bobby Beary Jay’s band share their talents with St. Louis!

09/29/2024

This is the 7th year that the has been presented by our sponsor, PNC Bank! Without PNC Bank, the simply wouldn’t be what it is today!

Special thank you to PNC Regional President, Mike Scully for taking a moment to chat with our friends at KMOV live from The Glow last week! As Mike shared, it’s important to all of us that remains FREE and accessible for all families in our community.

Photo credit #1: Peter Newcomb
Photo credit #2: Mary Butkus

09/27/2024

One of our most treasured and lesser known traditions of the every year is the rooftop watch party for patients and families at St. Louis Children's Hospital! This special night provides a moment of normalcy and wonder for children facing the unimaginable, and we’re so grateful that the can contribute to the magic!

Many thanks to our friends at KMOV for highlighting the watch party during their special that aired live from The Glow last Friday. We’re so grateful for our years long sponsor partnership with St. Louis Children’s Hospital and the care that they provide for the children who need them in our community. 🩷

Photo credit: STL From Above

09/26/2024

Did you get to catch some of the fun on the Wash U Main Stage at the this weekend?

Special shout out to our friends at Wash U (Washington University in St. Louis) for sponsoring the Main Stage - where you may have danced the night away with DJ Reggie, caught some local talent brought to you by Kranzberg Arts Foundation, or heard beautiful acapella singing by Wash U students — just to name a few Main Stage magic moments!

Photoa courtesy of Wash U

09/25/2024

We’re 52 years in and still growing, welcoming a record-breaking near 150,000 St. Louisans and guests to Forest Park. It’s our sponsors that made the weekend shine. The magic of Friday night’s Glow and Saturday’s Race is free for everyone thanks to generous sponsor support. We take true pride in seeing the beautiful diversity of our St. Louis region - families, couples, groups of friends - mingling between the balloons as they glow, dancing together on the Wash U Main Stage and cheering in unison for our pilots as they take flight. It’s festival season, and St. Louis is vibrant!

📷 STL From Above

09/25/2024

09/24/2024

Thanks to PBS NewsHour for telling the story of GFPBR and visiting this year’s GLOW. Shout out to our sponsor Blue Moon Brewing Company and pilot Jack Semler, featured in the video 🎈🍻

⬇️ original IG post ⬇️

The Great Forest Park Balloon Race in St. Louis, Missouri is the second-oldest hot air balloon race in America, dating back to 1973. This weekend, the community celebrated the event’s 52nd year.

PBS News’ Gabrielle Hays spent the day at the race to learn what it takes to bring the balloons to life and what motivates participants to compete.

“I’ve flown little airplanes, bigger airplanes. And this is my favorite,” said pilot Jack Semler, who has been ballooning for about 20 years.

This post was produced and edited by Gabrielle Hays, Cecilia Lallmann, Shyla Duff and Jackie Hai.

09/24/2024

We’re still feeling the magic from GFPBR weekend! Thank you for joining us, St. Louis! Keep tagging us in your photos, videos, and family moments! We love to see it! ✨

Photo credit:

09/24/2024

09/23/2024

Balloons spotted on Friday night’s national CBS News 🎈📺 What a great GFPBR weekend with our partners and friends at KMOV.

09/23/2024

09/23/2024

Address

Emerson Central Fields, Forest Park
St. Louis, MO
63112

Website

http://greatforestparkballoonrace.com/

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Videos

Did you catch the Purina Pro Plan Performance Team at the #GFPBR this year? This energetic and talented canine crew put on two show-stopping performances on Race Day that were not to be missed! The team features several rescue dogs, on a mission to prove that with premium nutrition, proper training, and lots of unconditional love, any dog has the ability to be extraordinary. We are so thankful to our sponsor, Purina for helping us further create unforgettable memories for the whole family. We love the pups! 🐕🐶

PBS NewsHour: Great Forest Park Balloon Race

Thanks to PBS NewsHour for telling the story of GFPBR and visiting this year’s GLOW. Shout out to our sponsor Blue Moon Brewing Company and pilot Jack Semler, featured in the video 🎈🍻 ⬇️ original IG post ⬇️ @newshour The Great Forest Park Balloon Race in St. Louis, Missouri is the second-oldest hot air balloon race in America, dating back to 1973. This weekend, the community celebrated the event’s 52nd year. PBS News’ Gabrielle Hays spent the day at the race to learn what it takes to bring the balloons to life and what motivates participants to compete. “I’ve flown little airplanes, bigger airplanes. And this is my favorite,” said pilot Jack Semler, who has been ballooning for about 20 years. This post was produced and edited by Gabrielle Hays, Cecilia Lallmann, Shyla Duff and Jackie Hai.