Plano Balloon Fest

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.