The National Balloon Classic is an annual
hot air balloon
A hot air balloon is a lighter-than-air aircraft consisting of a bag, called an envelope, which contains heated air. Suspended beneath is a gondola or wicker basket (in some long-distance or high-altitude balloons, a capsule), which carries p ...
festival held at the Memorial Balloon Field in
Indianola, Iowa
Indianola is a city in Warren County, Iowa, United States, located south of downtown Des Moines, Iowa. The population was 15,833 at the time of the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Warren County. Indianola is home to the National Balloon ...
. The classic is a nine-day event with nearly 100 hot air balloons.
History
In 1970, the fifth
United States National Hot Air Balloon Championship held the primaries in
Indianola and due to the success of the competition it hosted the championships for the following 18 years. In 1989, when the competition moved to
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge ( ; ) is a city in and the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. Located the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, it is the parish seat of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana's most populous parish—the equivalent of counties i ...
the National Balloon Classic was started and has continued every year except 2020, when the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
caused officials to scrap the event. The 32nd was deferred to 2021.
Events
*
U.S. Ballooning Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the
National Balloon Museum
The National Balloon Museum is a non-profit museum in Indianola, Iowa. It was founded in 1975 in short term locations, later gaining a permanent location in 1988. All of the museum's exhibits are about hot air ballooning and gas ballooning. The mu ...
.
*Nite Glow
*Dawn Patrol
Location
The Classic is held at Memorial Balloon Field.
See also
*
Hot Air Balloon Festivals
Hot air balloon festivals are held annually in many places throughout the year, allowing hot air balloons operators to gather- as well as for the general public- to participate in various activities. They can include races; evening "night glows" ...
Hot air balloon festivals in the United States
Festivals in Iowa
Festivals established in 1989