2023 HOT AIR BALLOONS & PILOTS

2023 H-E-B | Central Market Plano Balloon Festival Hot Air Balloons

A rainbow of colors, animals, and shapes will be flying High in the Texas Sky at the 2023 H-E-B | Central Market Plano Balloon Festival on September 21-24! Lulu the leopard, Fire Dog, Mister Z, Daz the Whirling Rascal, and Spyder Pig are a few of the special shapes to be spotted among 37 hot air balloons. A Tethered Balloon Ride is a fun experience taking riders up in the air to hover 20-30 feet above the ground for several minutes. This is just the right amount of time to get the feeling of floating, take magical photos and videos, and check “ride in a hot air balloon” off your lifelong list of things to do.

The four-day weekend begins on Thursday, September 21 and continues through Sunday, September 24. TICKETS are available online or at the gate. General admission is $10 for adults, $5 – kids 3-12 years old, $5 – Seniors 65 and older, free for kids 36″ and under, and free for all Military and First Responders (with valid ID).

MR. Z
Pilot: Dan Stukas
Central, South Carolina
Big Red Again hot air balloon pilot Joseph Calabrette from Hickory Creek, Texas
BIG RED AGAIN
Pilot: Joseph Calabrette
Hickory Creek, Texas
FIRE DOG
Pilot: Brian Chase
Moscow, Pennsylvania
RE/MAX Pilot: Steven Lombardi Edgewood, Texas
RE/MAX
Pilot: Steven Lombardi
Edgewood, Texas
SPYDERPIG Pilot: Michael Celentano Allen, Texas
SPYDERPIG
Pilot: Matt Robison
Allen, Texas
STARDUST Pilot: Amanda Ibbotson-Sullivan Grand Prairie, Texas
STARDUST
Pilot: Mark Ibbotson
Grand Prairie, Texas
COSMIC CRISP APPLE
Pilot: Steve Wilkinson
Palm Desert, California
DOS EQUIS Pilot: Scott Appleman Scottsdale, Arizona
DOS EQUIS
Pilot: Scott Appleman Scottsdale, Arizona
EXCELLENCE Pilot: Amie Cato Paris, Texas
EXCELLENCE
Pilot: Amie Cato
Paris, Texas
Lulu the Leopard hot air balloon pilot William Randell at Plano Balloon Festival
LULU
Pilot: William Randell
Coopersburg, Pennsylvania
Oh Well Oh Well Hot Air Balloon Pilot Dusty Weston at Plano Balloon Festival
OH WELL OH WELL
Pilot: Dusty Weston
Lubbock, Texas
Daz the whirling rascal hot air balloon
DAZ
Pilot: Matt Hurst
Coopersburg, Pennsylvania
OLIVE
Pilot: Janet Patton
Denton, Texas
H-E-B Pilot: Scott Vesely Frisco, Texas
SPIRIT OF H-E-B
Pilot: Scott Vesely
Frisco, Texas
HIGHLY COOL Pilot:  Keith Berry Poplar Bluff, Missouri
HIGHLY COOL
Pilot: Keith Berry
Poplar Bluff, Missouri
SPIRIT’S RAINBOW
Pilot: Michael Scott
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Unifly hot air balloon pilot Billy Broker from Plano Texas
UNIFLY
Pilot: Billy Broker
Plano, Texas
WHISK AWAY Pilot: Josh Cato Paris, Texas
WHISK AWAY
Pilot: Josh Cato
Paris, Texas
Lone Star Texas Hot Air Balloon
LONE STAR
Pilot: Jenny Karlovich
JOELLY THE BEE
Pilot: Michael Glen
Mesa, Arizona
Bullwinkle hot air balloon pilot Charles Edwards from Palm Harbor
BULLWINKLE
Pilot: Charles Edwards
Palm Harbor
Black Magic hot air balloon pilot Janet Patton from Denton, Texas
BLACK MAGIC
Pilot: Lauren Patton
Denton, Texas
Sky Sailor hot air balloon pilot Steve LeMay from McKinney Texas
SKY SAILOR
Pilot: Steve LeMay
McKinney, Texas
Calypso hot air balloon pilot Eric Wiggins Greenville, Mississippi
CALYPSO
Pilot: Eric Wiggins
Longview, Texas
Texas hot air balloon pilot Joshua Goll from Longview Texas
TEXAS
Pilot: Joshua Goll
Longview, Texas
Rocket the Flying Squirrel hot air balloon pilot Ricky Dillbeck from Interlachen, Florida
ROCKET THE FLYING SQUIRREL
Pilot: Ricky Dillbeck
Interlachen, Florida
IMON8 hot air balloon pilot Jeff Abel from Hazlet, Texas
IMON8
Pilot: Jeff Abel
Hazlet, Texas
HAUNTED MANSION
Pilot: Darrell Duer
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
FIRED UP TOO Pilot: Michael Marx Prosper, Texas
FIRED UP TOO
Pilot: Michael Marx
Prosper, Texas
FIRST DUE Pilot: Clayton Kemp Frisco, Texas
FIRST DUE
Pilot: Clayton Kemp
Frisco, Texas
CHANGE 
Pilot: Michael Celentano 
Frisco, Texas
CHANGE
Pilot: Michael Celentano
Frisco, Texas
LOVIN' LIFE IN THE AIR Pilot: Lowell White Forney, Texas
LOVIN’ LIFE IN THE AIR
Pilot: Lowell White
Forney, Texas
AURA
Pilot: Mike Fielding
Oak Point, Texas
NORTHWIND
Pilot: Kerry Speicher
Longview, Texas
JERSEY LILLY
Pilot: Bob Evans
Center, Texas
UP ROHR Pilot: Brian Rohr McKinney, Texas
UP ROHR
Pilot: Brian Rohr
McKinney, Texas
Pilot: Dave Griffin
Denton, Texas
WAYBACK
Pilot: Bill Kinser
Edmond, Oklahoma

FESTIVAL VOLUNTEERS:

Volunteer Chase Crew Registration – Sign up to volunteer as crew for Special Shape Hot Air Balloon Pilots that have traveled from out of town in order to participate in the festival. Assist with inflation, static display, glow, and learn with hands-on experience about ballooning. All volunteers must be 18 years of age or older and able to lift 30-40 lbs. Volunteers may be 15 years of age or older if accompanied by a parent / guardian. MEETING LOCATION: Hampton Inn and Suites (2813 E. President George Bush Highway, Plano, Texas 75074). Additional information will be emailed to you closer to the festival date.

National Honor Society Volunteer Registration – Sign up to volunteer at our Admission Gates distributing Child ID Bands or in our Kids Korner Arts and Crafts Tent. In our Kids Korner Craft Tent, you will be manning craft stations, helping our littlest guests.

General Volunteer Registration – Sign up to volunteer as a general festival volunteer assisting with crowd control on the launch field, recording ice sales in each vendor zone, or one of the many areas we need volunteer support. All volunteers must be 18 years of age or older.

2023 H-E-B | Central Market Plano Balloon Festival Special Shapes and Sponsor Hot Air Balloons
Click to get TICKETS to the 2023 H-E-B | Central Market Plano Balloon Festival “High In The Texas Sky”

SCHEDULE OF FESTIVAL EVENTS:

Thursday, Sept. 21
5:00 PM Festival Opens
6:00 PM RE/MAX of Texas Parachute Team Exhibition
7:00 PM Balloon Glow
7:30 PM Plano Symphony Orchestra Family Friendly Concert on the FOX4 Main Stage
10:00 PM Festival Closes
Friday, Sept. 22
4:00 PM Festival Opens
4:30 PM Party Machine in Concert on the FOX4 Main Stage
6:00 PM RE/MAX of Texas Parachute Team Exhibition
6:30 PM Party Machine in Concert on the FOX4 Main Stage
7:30 PM Balloon Glow presented by RE/MAX
8:15 PM Party Machine in Concert on the FOX4 Main Stage
9:15 PM Party Machine in Concert on the FOX4 Main Stage
10:00 PM Festival Closes


Saturday, Sept. 23
6:00 AM Festival Opens
7:00 AM Balloon Launch presented by Dos Equis
9:00 AM Ninja Nation Mobile Obstacle Course Challenge
4:30 PM Ice House in Concert on the FOX4 Main Stage
6:00 PM RE/MAX of Texas Parachute Team Exhibition
6:30 PM Ice House in Concert on the FOX4 Main Stage
7:30 PM Balloon Glow presented by H-E-B | Central Market
8:15 PM Ice House in Concert on the FOX4 Main Stage
9:15 PM Ice House in Concert on the FOX4 Main Stage
10:00 PM Festival Closes
Sunday, Sept. 24
6:00 AM Festival Opens
7:00 AM Balloon Launch presented by the City of Plano
11:00 AM Festival Closes