Hot air balloon festivals are held annually in many places throughout the year, allowing

hot air balloons 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 ...

operators to gather- as well as for the general public- to participate in various activities. They can include races; evening "night glows", or "glowdeos" (in the US), in which balloons are fired while remaining tethered to the ground; and rides. Walla Walla balloon rides

File:Nightglow, Warsteiner Internationale Montgolfiade (WIM) (10573726073).jpg,

Warsteiner Warsteiner () beer is brewed in the Arnsberg Forest Nature Park outside of Warstein, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Warsteiner has been owned by the Cramer family since 1753. Warsteiner is Germany's largest privately owned brewery; its b ...

Internationale Montgolfiade (WIM),

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

File:Balloonsoversuspensionbridge.JPG, The

Bristol International Balloon Fiesta The Bristol International Balloon Fiesta is an annual four day free festival of hot air ballooning in Bristol, England. Teams from the UK and other parts of the world bring their hot air balloons to the site and participate in mass ascents where ...

(held in the city of

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

, England), is one of the biggest festivals of its type in Europe File:Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival.jpg, Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival File:Hot Air Balloons , Albuquerque , Ektachrome by Scott Williams.jpg,

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is a yearly hot air balloon festival that takes place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, during early October. The Balloon Fiesta is a nine-day event occurring in the first full week of October, and has ov ...

, the largest gathering of hot air balloons in the world. File:Ballons vista aerea.jpg, Balloons flying above the Ancient Castle of

Ferrara Ferrara (, ; egl, Fràra ) is a city and ''comune'' in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital of the Province of Ferrara. it had 132,009 inhabitants. It is situated northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream ...

during the Ferrara Balloon Festival File:Penang Hot Air Balloon.jpg, Balloons flying during the

Penang Hot Air Balloon Fiesta The Penang Hot Air Balloon Fiesta is an annual hot air balloon festival held within the city of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. The festival, organised by AKA Balloon Sdn Bhd, a Malaysian private limited firm, takes place every February at th ...

in George Town,

Penang Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay ...

in 2017. File:WIM 2004 starting.jpg, Starting balloons at the Warsteiner Internationale Montgolfiade in

Warstein Warstein () is a municipality with town status in the district of Soest, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located at the north end of Sauerland. Geography Warstein is located north of the Arnsberger Wald (forest) at a brook called Wäs ...

File:GBBalloona.jpg, Grand Britannia, the Great British Balloon flying at the Mondial event in Lorraine, France File:Mid-Hudson balloon festival.JPG, Mid-Hudson Valley Balloon Festival File:European Balloon Festival 2008 in Igualada.jpg, European Balloon Festival in

Igualada Igualada () is a municipality in the province of Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain. It is located on the left bank of the Anoia River and at the western end of the Igualada-Martorell-Barcelona Railway. Igualada is the capital and central market of the ...

, Spain File:Sunballoon.JPG, A "smiling sun" hot air balloon behind the sun during the

Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta The Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta is an annual four-day air-sporting event held each year between January and February at the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga. It is one of the longest-running aviation sports events in the Phili ...

Pampanga Pampanga, officially the Province of Pampanga ( pam, Lalawigan ning Pampanga; tl, Lalawigan ng Pampanga ), is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Lying on the northern shore of Manila Bay, Pampanga is bordered by Tarlac ...

, Philippines File:Night Glow at 20 FIBAQ 2016 - Alter do Chão.jpg, Night Glow at the 20º Hot Air Balloon Festival (FIBAQ) in Alter do Chão, Portugal, on 11 November 2016 File:Leon international hot air ballon festival nov 2012.jpg,

Leon Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to: Places Europe * León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León * Province of León, Spain * Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again f ...

International Hot Air Balloon Festival 2012 in

, Mexico

References

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External links

Hot air balloon festival listings - primarily North AmericaHot air balloon festival listings - primarily EuropeWorldwide Hot air balloon festival listingsBallooning over ItalyHot Air Balloon Festival PampangaLuxor International Hot Air Balloon FestivalHod-Hod Soliman Balloons 26th anniversaryWinthrop Balloon Festival or Winthrop Balloon RoundupWalla Walla Balloon Festival
Hot air balloon festivals, * Lists of festivals by topic Sports festivals Air shows